Smartcups Printed Technology and Winning Food Stars | Chris Kanik #social333podcast #80

Summary

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Social 333 Podcast Episode #80:

Smartcups Printed Technology and Winning Food Stars — Chris Kanik
Host: Chris D. Bentley | Guest: Chris Kanik | December 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, host Chris Bentley sits down with Chris Kanik, the inventive force behind Smart Cups — a tech-driven sustainability company that literally "prints" ingredients onto cups, removing the need for liquid in countless consumer products. The episode explores Kanik’s scientific journey from prodigy to entrepreneur, his comedic side-turn, and his recent win on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars. The candid conversation spotlights innovation, the challenges of fame, and stories involving celebrities like Mike Tyson, all with humor and depth.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Smart Cups Revolution (02:20–10:56)

• Product/Tech Explanation:
  • Chris Kanik introduces Smart Cups, a patented technology allowing for printing active ingredients onto surfaces (e.g., cups). Add water, and the cup transforms into an energy drink, medication, or more.
  • “We eliminate liquid from consumer products. You add water to a cup and it becomes that product.” (Chris Kanik, 02:24)
  • Smart Cups’ applications range from pharmaceuticals to food and beverage.
• Manufacturing & Scale:
  • Fully self-operated in a 23,000 sq. ft. facility in Mission Viejo, CA.
  • Proprietary manufacturing process, developed and built from the ground up over 4.5 years (and $8M).
• Technology as Platform:
  • Expect to see “powered by Smart Cups” products through licensing/co-manufacturing, not just Smart Cups-branded goods.
  • Aim: To be a core tech provider, not a direct competitor in varied consumer sectors.

2. Kanik’s Unusual Career Path: From Child Prodigy to Stand-Up Comic (04:07–08:22)

• Early Science Achievements:
  • Entered university programs at age 10, published chemical research at Stevens Institute of Technology and Rutgers by age 12.
  • Work included early nanorobotics and protein research at Rutgers Engineering.
• Pivotal Shift:
  • At 19, left a promising scientific trajectory to pursue stand-up comedy (“Because the most addictive thing to me… is laughter.” — Chris Kanik, 07:06)
  • Comedy career took him from New York to Southern California.
• Science & Humor Blend:
  • Kanik leverages his stage skills in entrepreneurship, bringing energy, perspective, and accessibility to complex science.

3. Smart Cups’ Impact & Applications (09:02–12:28)

• Ideal Clients:
  • Companies wanting to eliminate the costs and emissions of shipping liquids.
  • “Cut shipping costs, reduce storage and transportation requirements…eliminate refrigeration and reduce carbon emissions.” (Chris Kanik, 09:06)
• Humanitarian & Military Uses:
  • Disaster relief and developing-world nutrition are big priorities.
  • Kanik recounts traveling with stackable cups ready for instant, nutrient-rich meals: “All I need is hot water and I could go give out 10 grams of protein to anybody that’s hungry.” (Chris Kanik, 11:55)
  • Current development deals with the US Army, particularly for improved MREs (military meals-ready-to-eat).

4. Celebrity Encounters & The Price of Fame (12:54–26:43)

A. Food Stars & Gordon Ramsay (13:02–15:02)

• Winning Food Stars:
  • Kanik recounts winning the entrepreneurial reality show and describes Ramsay as “one of the smartest, nicest people I’ve ever met off camera,” but a “shark” in character during filming.
  • “Gordon Ramsay…really did shock me as to how different he is on and off camera.” (Chris Kanik, 13:25)
• Life After TV Fame:
  • Immediate and ongoing public recognition; anecdotes about wedding invitations from strangers, being stopped in public, and needing to disguise himself with a hat.
  • Unexpected fame: “People would follow me around and take pictures…send emails to the general inbox…It’s the burden I bear kind of a situation.” (Chris Kanik, 17:32–17:38)

B. Mike Tyson Stories (22:03–26:04)

• Role as Chief Science Officer:
  • Brought on to help Tyson’s cannabis company pass rigorous audits and create the world’s purest CBD. FDA clinicals and international validation achieved.
• Personal Interactions:
  • Humorous, surreal moments—Tyson treating Kanik like a child (“Man, Quaith, you’re so smart. What do you want to do when you grow up?”), to which Kanik deadpans: “I just want to be in a room with Mike Tyson.” (24:01)
  • On Tyson’s public impact: During COVID, Tyson wore a Smart Cups shirt, resulting in 10–20,000 emails overnight: “We figure out how to make T-shirts…we’re selling T-shirts.” (Chris Kanik, 26:19)
• Tyson’s Character:
  • “He was always very nice to me…one of the best things he ever did…wore a Smart Cups shirt” (Chris Kanik, 26:04)

C. Reflections on Fame & Privacy (16:28–21:29)

• Drawbacks of Publicity:
  • Discussion about receiving awkward (and even invasive) messages from strangers.
  • Advice to his kids about being boundaries-conscious in the public eye.
  • “When you win a prize, people come at you like flies on shit.” (Chris Kanik, 21:21)

5. Entrepreneurial Wisdom & Lessons Learned (26:59–29:05)

• Bootstrapping & Capital Constraints:
  • Kanik notes the constant pressure of startup fundraising: “I’m always looking to raise capital to go take the company to the next phase of growth…It just costs money.”
• Advice to His Younger Self:
  • “Number one, I’d go back to myself at 10 and tell myself, don’t pick chemistry…you’re going to bring yourself a lot of fucking heartache.” (Chris Kanik, 28:15)
  • “Nothing is the end of the world. Failure is not the end; it’s just a learning experience.” (Chris Kanik, 28:50)
  • Wouldn’t have eaten a certain bagel at the airport.

6. Closing & How to Connect (29:05–29:43)

• Contact Info:
  • Instagram: @ceo_dad_life
  • Company: SmartCups.com
  • Consumer products: energybysmartcups.com

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Smart Cups’ Mission:

  “God gave me some gifts and so I feel an obligation to give back…the whole reason behind this really is go provide micronutrients and medications to people around the world that are under-serviced, right, in a more efficient manner.”
  — Chris Kanik (11:16)

• What Drives Kanik:

  “For me, it’s laughter. I love making people laugh. And when I don’t get that, I feel a void in my system.”
  — Chris Kanik (07:06)

• Celebrity Life Reality Check:

  “People would follow me around and take pictures of me and send emails to the general inbox…That kind of intrusion is kind of weird.”
  — Chris Kanik (17:32–19:20)

• On Gordon Ramsay:

  “He really did shock me as to how different he is on and off camera.”
  — Chris Kanik (13:25)

• On Mike Tyson:

  “He picks me up, twirls me around, gives me a hug and a kiss…In that moment, I realize I’m Mike Tyson’s trunk monkey.”
  — Chris Kanik (25:35)

• On Lessons Learned:

  “Nothing is the end of the world. Failure is not the end; it’s just a learning experience.”
  — Chris Kanik (28:50)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:20 — Smart Cups product & technology explained
• 04:07 — Kanik’s early science career and path to stand-up
• 09:02 — Smart Cups ideal clients & market focus
• 11:16 — Humanitarian applications and core mission
• 12:38 — Work with US Army
• 13:02 — Winning Food Stars & working with Gordon Ramsay
• 16:28 — Adjusting to public attention and notoriety
• 22:03 — Mike Tyson stories and the cannabis industry
• 26:59 — Lessons from entrepreneurship, advice to younger self
• 29:05 — How to connect with Chris Kanik & access Smart Cups products

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Final Thoughts

Chris Kanik’s story blends deep scientific innovation, entrepreneurial grit, and vivid humor. His journey reveals the possibilities of sustainability tech, the personal and societal implications of newfound fame, and the importance of resilience and perspective. Whether recounting lab discoveries, Hollywood encounters, or hard-won insights, Kanik delivers them all in his own disarmingly authentic style.

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Transcript

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[Chris Bentley]

Hey, welcome to the Social 333 podcast. I'm your host, Chris Bentley. Today my guest is Chris Knick. Did I say it right?

[Chris Canik]

No, you said wrong. No one says it right. It's Cannik.

[Chris Bentley]

Cannock.

[Chris Canik]

Cannock. But that's okay.

[Chris Bentley]

Cannock.

[Chris Canik]

I forgive you.

[Chris Bentley]

My apologies. Chris, welcome to the show. Tell everybody a little bit about yourself and how you ended up on your show. What you got going on.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, my name is Chris Canik. I'm the CEO and founder of Smart Cups. Smart Cups is a technology that I developed that allows for the printing of ingredients on surfaces. We're viewed As a sustainability technology, because we eliminate liquid from consumer products. And so you take any product, from antibiotics to vaccinations to an energy drink, alcohol, we can print it inside of a cup. The cups are stackable. You grab a cup, you add water to it, and then it becomes that product.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah. So previously that technology was only visible on shows like Star Trek or movies like Back to the Future, maybe the Jetsons. Just add water to a cup and.

[Chris Bentley]

It'Ll come, whatever it is.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah. Flavor, nutritional elements, you name it. It's right there in the cup.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

And you create these cups. You have like the. The warehouse or you have like a. Obviously like a supplier or something like that that creates that for you.

[Chris Canik]

No, we do everything ourselves.

[Chris Bentley]

Really?

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, we do everything ourselves. We. We developed all the manufacturing equipment from scratch, and we operate of. Out of a 23,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Mission Viejo, California, Southern California.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

So not to be a Donald Trump person at the moment, but I'm going to be a Donald Trump person at the moment. Chris Cannon created manufacturing jobs in the state of California at a time where no one was making manufacturing jobs in California.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow. Talk to me about your scientific career. You said you started out at 10.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

So was it, like, a fascination? Because I was always interested in. I don't know, Like, I was just talking about this the other day. Like, I was interested in, like, mixing household chemicals. You know, I'm old. Like, we didn't have the Internet.

[Chris Canik]

How old are you?

[Chris Bentley]

I'm 40. What is it, 47? I'm about to be 48.

[Chris Canik]

All right. If you forgot how old you are, then you are old.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I was. I would sit there and be like, oh, I got a couple Sudafeds and mouthwash and like, oh, you're trying to make meth. I was just trying to make.

[Chris Canik]

You're trying to make meth. I got Sudafed.

[Chris Bentley]

Oh, yeah.

[Chris Canik]

I got some barrels.

[Chris Bentley]

I was young, so I go like, I'll make a cool, like, sink bomb and it'll be awesome. And like, you know, like, you watch stuff on. On TV back you didn't have cable. Right. And so, yeah, like, regular.

[Chris Canik]

Where'd you grow up?

[Chris Bentley]

Maryland. D.C. virginia.

[Chris Canik]

Oh, okay. Cool. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

You, like, see people make volcanoes out of, like, baking soda. And I'd be like, whoa, that's really cool. I can make something cool, like come out of my sink or whatever, blow something up and then be mixing stuff together.

[Chris Canik]

We actually have kind of, like, similar paths. And so it was. So a nun went to My mom and said, hey, your son has a gift. And gave her a course catalog for a special program at a university.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

And they gave me a course catalog and they said, pick a class. So the course catalog is about this thick. This is before it was. Everything was online, so it was like this thick. So I'm going through the course catalog and I'm looking at shit, you know, arts and crafts, basket weaving. Basket weaving. I talk about that. That's actually ye. That's actually my, my kicker. I could have picked basket weaving. Right. And I'd be a basket weaving prodigy. Yeah, that's exactly what.

[Chris Bentley]

Underwater basket weaving.

[Chris Canik]

Underwater, yeah. I would have perfected that. And so, like I see chemistry, I go, I like MacGyver. I want to learn how to blow.

[Chris Bentley]

Shit up with a pine cone.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah. Duct tape, chewing gum, you know. You know, and a pine cone. And so I picked chemistry. So at 10 years old, that's what dictated the next 32 years of my life. And then from there I started doing research at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey at the age 12. And then I moved on and I started doing research at Rutgers University and then moved on into the department of Aerospace and Engineering at Rutgers, developing biologically based nano robots. And so I specifically was looking at the protein that extends out to our white blood cells and the way it activates is through a change in ph. And so by isolating that protein and manipulating the ph, you have this motion, which is an actuator. So all self replicating, maintaining biological nano robots. So that was like what, 22 years ago?

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah. And then at 19, I was at Cornell. I was an American Chemical Society scholar throughout this all. And I said, fuck this shit. I want to be a stand up comic.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

I go, I'm dealing with house money. I'm a kid from low income housing, both my parents are immigrants. I'm going to go do what makes me happy. And that's what I did. Because the most addictive thing to me, most people have addictions like alcohol, sex, drugs, gambling. Gambling, Right. For me it's laughter. I love making people laugh. And when I don't get that, I feel a void in my system.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

So I became a. I started my stand up comedy career when I was 19 in New York and I was pretty successful. I traveled the world and that's what brought me to Southern California. At the end of a tour, I did a nationwide tour and ended up in, of all places, a town called Ladera Ranch, which is the bubble of the bubble of the bubble. And so at the end of the tour, I looked around this town and I looked around and I said, shit, I didn't know they made places like this. So a month later, I brought one suitcase and I made it home and I go, I don't know what I need to do. Make money, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna stay here. I felt like a fucking Jefferson. I was like, I was coming on up, you know, and so that was when I was like 23, 24, and it's been my home ever since.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, huh?

[Chris Bentley]

Comedy. I would have never thought that.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah. No. From science to stand up comedy, Back to science and. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Were you trying to blow stuff up in your kitchen sink or your bathroom sink?

[Chris Canik]

Like, I've blown so many things up, I don't even want to get started. Like, I've printed explosives and added water to. I've, I've. And I'm not a big PPE guy. So. Kids at home, kids at home. If you're, if you're, if you're wondering, be very, very careful, all right? Don't blow shit up.

[Chris Bentley]

Talk to me a little bit about your company. Who would be like your most ideal clients or who's coming to you? That's like, hey, like, I got to have your product.

[Chris Canik]

That's a great question. I think any company that's looking to eliminate the cost of shipping liquid would be a great client. Great adopter of the technology. Cut shipping costs, reduces storage and transportation requirements. Unnecessary packaging, extends shelf life, eliminates refrigeration and reduces carbon emissions.

[Chris Bentley]

It seems like it would be used for like a lot of stuff, you know, just.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, you name it, I can print it. Everything from antibiotics all the way up to, you know, sea monkeys to snacks to whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

You raise a lot of money. I'm sure it's like fully automated now.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, we have a fully automated production system on our production floor that we designed, constructed, put together. It took about four and a half years. It's patented. It took about four and a half years and a little over $8 million to put together. And so now the job is really to commercialize the, the enterprise customers that we have and bring them out to market. And so, you know, I brought some products with me today, but those products, you probably won't see a smart cups branded product in the marketplace moving forward. What you'll see is other people's powered by smart cups technology.

[Chris Bentley]

So I was going to ask about that.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, and so like moving forward, you'll probably see licensing, co manufacturing and that's really where we want to be. Because we have applications in so many different categories and industries, it doesn't make sense for us to go compete and go do pharmaceuticals, go do nutraceuticals, go do food and beverage, go do personal hygiene. You know, I can't be in mouthwash and go compete with all the big boys.

[Chris Bentley]

Right.

[Chris Canik]

And then go try to compete in food and beverage with all the big boys and then pharmaceuticals with all those big boys. Rather, it's, we're a technology platform and here's this platform and here's the value added to this platform. And so that's, that's what I'm providing.

[Chris Bentley]

I think it would be really great for third world countries, you know, ship a bunch of stuff out there.

[Chris Canik]

There's a ton of humanitarian and disaster relief applications to this. And so, you know, I was never driven by money. Growing up poor, going to sleep at night not knowing where my next meal was going to come from, going to sleep hungry. I didn't, you know, God gave me some gifts and so I feel an obligation to give back. And so the whole reason behind this really is go provide micronutrients and medications to people around the world that are under underserviced. Right. In a more efficient manner. Like I can go with my Carry on and travel anywhere in the United states with about 100, 150 bone broths with noodles printed in them and they're stacked in my Carry on. I could show up, all I need is hot water and I could go give out 10 grams of protein to anybody that's hungry, you know, and I could do that. And I've done it. If you go to my Instagram, you could see some videos I have, I could do that in 20 minutes. Right. That's an efficient way of transporting and, and distributing nutrients to people.

[Chris Bentley]

Have you gotten any inquiries from like the, you know, doj? Well, I guess it wouldn't be Department of Justice, but military branches, anything like that?

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, so we do have a development deal in place with the U.S. army and so we are developing a number of applications there.

[Chris Bentley]

Cool. Yeah, I was thinking about that. Yeah, like no more MREs and stuff like that.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, we're doing a lot of MRE work.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, let's get into some of your run ins with celebrities because I was.

[Chris Canik]

Oh shit, I'm going to get myself in trouble now.

[Chris Bentley]

So you won Food Stars with Gordon Ramsay?

[Chris Canik]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Tell me a little bit about him. Because when I see him on TV versus when I see him in commercials, he seems pretty chill. On commercials. And then when I see him on tv, he acts like his usual self, which is like, what the hell is this beep, beep, beep, beep trash. Right. And then fires a bunch of people. Like, is it kind of the same way or is he just pretty chill?

[Chris Canik]

I will say this about Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Ramsay is one of the smartest, nicest people I have ever met off camera. On camera. I've watched him make grown men cry.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow. I've seen some of his.

[Chris Canik]

And deservingly at some points, but he, he's very sharp. Obviously, he's built an empire for himself. He's very successful. I was shocked as to how smart he really is and not to take anything away from him, because anybody who's successful has brains. Right. But he, he really did shock me as to how different he is on and off camera.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Because I've seen him on a couple of shows. I've seen him just, you know, make something on a regular show. Like just regular, cold, you know, make something. And it's like he didn't miss a beat. Like, I don't know if he practiced it or he's just like that good. But the one thing, the comment that I have about him, which is I think something really great, is he stays out of the news. Like, nobody's business. Like, you never see him out, like getting a movie or getting a beer or anything like that. Like, he's never in the news. No, that I've seen.

[Chris Canik]

No, you. You don't see that stuff because he's very. He's very seasoned, private. He knows he. He's a very family oriented person. And I saw that when he interacted with my kids. And I was, I was very touched by that. He really took a liking to my kids in the final episode when he met my kids. And, and you know, I ultimately, I won the show. Right.

[Chris Bentley]

Which is awesome.

[Chris Canik]

So, hey, thank you. Blessing and a curse, really. Curse. Because after that final episode aired, that's why I wear the hat. Because I'm the only idiot with this stupid haircut. Right. So people recognize me all the time.

[Chris Bentley]

I'm not too far.

[Chris Canik]

I was just on the plane. And the ladies, obviously I'm wearing a SmartCups thing, but I didn't have it on in the late.

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[Chris Canik]

Eddie. She recognized me. And she's like, you're the guy from that Gordon Ramsay show.

[Chris Bentley]

Really?

[Chris Canik]

And I was like, I am. And she's like, can I take a selfie? I was like, sure. Right after that TV show, I received probably seven or eight invitations to weddings.

[Chris Bentley]

Really?

[Chris Canik]

From strangers.

[Chris Bentley]

Random.

[Chris Canik]

Random strangers. I just came in and I'm like, who the fuck are these people? Like, they think my plus one is Gordon Ramsay. So the last one, and I'll tell you the story, the last invitation I received, I actually went to their registry. I actually have bought gifts for all these people. The last one I bought, I went to the registry, and the cheapest thing was a toilet bowl brush. So I bought them a toilet bowl brush and I sent it to them, and I put a note on it, and I said, here, congratulations on your wedding. Let me know when you get divorced.

[Chris Bentley]

That's in a toilet brush.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, that's right. I used to drive around in a smart car that was wrapped in all branding for smart cups. I got rid of that car. I couldn't do it anymore because people would follow me around, really? And take pictures of me and then send emails to the general inbox. And then people would follow me to the parking lots, wherever I ended up going.

[Chris Bentley]

What would they say?

[Chris Canik]

Like, I saw you come out and all sorts of stupid shit.

[Chris Bentley]

Like, I saw you at Starbucks getting a couple.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, like, I. I'll be at Starbucks and I'll get a swarm of people taking selfies and stuff. And I'm like, well, you know, I guess this is the burden I bear kind of a situation.

[Chris Bentley]

How bad did it get? Because I know for. Just kind of give you some. Some background. I think everybody, especially in the 20s, to 25 era of age right now.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

Wants to be famous. And I wanted to be famous for a time until fame kind of hit me.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

And I didn't like it. And it was. It was like, kind of like what you're talking about, but it's, like, creepy. Like, I'll be in the elevator. And this happened. Like, I got a dog. And I was in the elevator, and there's a couple in the elevator, and they looked at me. I looked at them. I just said, like, hello. Because it's. You know, it's just weird to be in an elevator, not say anything to anybody. As Texas. Everybody is nice to each other. And I walk in, and you see.

[Chris Canik]

I'm from New York. Nobody's nice to anybody. Yeah. Or everybody.

[Chris Bentley]

I'm from the east coast, so, like.

[Chris Canik]

I got to do. Even our homeless people have to do. Like, I was in an escalator. I wasn't moving. California made me soft. So I was on the left side, and behind me, I hear. I'm like, what the. I turned around as a homeless guy. I'm like. He's like, get out of the way. All right, I'm sorry. I broke protocol. I don't know what he had to do, what was on his agenda for the day. But it was a busy.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, I was in the elevator, and then I get a ping, and it's like some Facebook message, and it was like, hey, I was in the elevator with you. I just wanted to say hi.

[Chris Canik]

It's weird.

[Chris Bentley]

And I'm like, happens. Why don't you just say hi?

[Chris Canik]

Like, that happens. Like, I was in Austin almost two years ago, and I'm just walking through Austin, and I saw this lady that was on the. On the street, and she was outside of a pizza place. And I looked at her. She looked like she was homeless, you know? And I said, are you hungry? And she goes, yeah. I go, can I get you something? And so I bought her two slices and a drink, and I gave it to her.

[Chris Bentley]

Nice.

[Chris Canik]

Next morning, I open up my Facebook, and somebody was. I got a message. It was like, hey, I was riding my bike on the street with my kids, and I thought it was you, and it was you. Because you're in Austin. Because I posted something. I'm in Austin, Right. I was doing a speaking engagement, and I was like, yeah. And he was like, you really are the real deal. I saw you give that pizza to the homeless lady. And I was like, yeah. I gave her five bucks. And I said, here. God bless you. And I Kept walking. That kind of intrusion is kind of weird. Before I went on the show, I sat down my kids, I said, listen, I used to be a stand up comic. You guys don't know me as a stand up comedian. You know, there was one point where I'd be going through the subway in New York and people would yell shit out at me. And you guys don't know that world. I've kept you guys out of that. I go, I'm gonna go do this show. There are positive things and there are negative things that come with it. I go, you're gonna make a lot of new friends off of this. You have to keep boundaries and you have to be very protective of yourselves. Right? Because you don't know why people want to be your new friend. Because of this, because daddy's this. And because on the show, all people know is Chris Cannon got $250,000. So they think, I have $250,000. That's new in my pocket, waiting to give out. So you'd be surprised how many people come up and they're like, hey, can I get some money?

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah.

[Chris Canik]

I'm like, hey, that was not going directly to me. That was an investment in the company.

[Chris Bentley]

Right?

[Chris Canik]

So, you know the pros and cons, especially when you win a prize. When you win a prize, people come at you like flies on shit.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah. I got a bunch of messages. I kept them, but it was like a bunch of messages on Twitter. It was like, hey, bro, like, you're the luxury real estate agent in Dallas and you're, like, hitting it on all levels. Like, why don't you give me 5k? I don't know. Yeah.

[Chris Canik]

Great.

[Chris Bentley]

You know, just like, random.

[Chris Canik]

Chris, I, I. The reason I came on this podcast really was to ask you, can you give me 5k right now? Yeah, yeah. Can you just whip out your wallet and give me 5k? That'd be great.

[Chris Bentley]

Let me just throw it on the table, you know? Yeah. Tell me a little bit about your running with Mike Tyson and what do you guys. I know you probably can't say too much, but what's he like in real life? I've seen some. I've seen some wild stuff. Like, I know he. He plays poker and hangs out with some people, and I've seen some real cool stuff. Like he's.

[Chris Canik]

My time with Mike is interesting because I was asked to come on board as the chief science officer for his cannabis company. Now, I'm not a cannabis guy. I don't smoke, but they asked me to come on board to help them pass a big tobacco audit. And so Big Tobacco was interested in CBD and put it into vape cartridges, and they were going to all the big cannabis companies. The problem was that it was all very contaminated stuff, and it wasn't going to meet the regulatory requirements. So I agreed to come on board. It was a pretty interesting time in my life, because I would say for four years, I kind of lived the hangover nice, you know, but successfully. We produced the purest CBD that the world had ever seen.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

And I produced a process that can produce the purest cbd. We had FDA clinicals involved. It was validated by not just here in the United States, but also by the national laboratory in the United Kingdom. But one interesting thing, Mike, I think he thought I was a child, maybe because I'm 5 foot 4. But I remember one time, I'm in. I'm in Miami with him. I'm sitting right next to him. I'm on my laptop, and he looks at me. He goes, man, Quaith, you're so smart. What do you want to do when you grow up? And I just looked at him, deadpan, not skipping a beat, and I go, I just want to be in a room with Mike Tyson. And I go back to my laptop, and he looks at me, he goes, oh, quit.

[Chris Bentley]

You're doing it.

[Chris Canik]

You're doing it. He was so excited. Like, he just granted a Make a wish for a sick kid. I have another story where we drove all the way up north in California for, like, six, seven hours with him in the car. Yeah, I got in first, and then we went to go pick him up. And then we drove for, like, six, seven hours. And we get out. He's got a pee. We stop at a 711 gas station. He gets out first. I'm the last one out because I'm in the back of the. The Escalade. And it was like they just called ice. Everybody was like, oh, yeah, my dice in Taki. And everyone's swarming to the bathroom looking for a picture with him, right? So I go in. I'm desensitized to all this shit already. So I'm getting my cup of coffee, and he's taking pictures with, like, two Mexican guys, like landscapers. And he turns around, he sees me, and it's one of those weird things. Like when Mike Tyson looks at you, you could feel it. It's like you feel like you're about to get eaten. And I. I turn around, and I look at him. He goes, wait, that's my guy. That's my guy. Quit. Where'd you come from? And I was like, what the fuck you talking about? I've been in the car the whole time. He goes, oh, man, you so evil. You so thin at there. You like an evil man, baby. Quiff. He picks me up, he twirls me around, gives me a hug and a kiss. And in that moment, I realize I'm Mike Tyson's trunk monkey. Like, I'm just. He had no idea I was in the car the whole time. And then the whole time in the meeting, he's telling people, man, quite a. So evil. He's like in. He's the thin at the man, baby. He so evil in the meeting. I looked at him, I said, can you stop calling me sinister? Can you stop calling me an evil man, baby?

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

So, yeah, those are some Mike Tyson stories.

[Chris Bentley]

I've seen some.

[Chris Canik]

But he's. He's an awesome guy. He was always very nice to me.

[Chris Bentley]

Yeah, I've seen that.

[Chris Canik]

I mean, one of the best things he ever did during COVID when he made his initial comeback, he wore a smart cup shirt. There was no sports, and he wore a shirt during his training, and it said smart cups. And he said, I'm back. That day. We got like 10, 20,000 emails.

[Chris Bentley]

Wow.

[Chris Canik]

And I went to the office and I just went, listen. And everybody wanted a T shirt. So I went into the office and I said, listen, we figure out how to make T shirts. So I didn't choose to be in the T shirt business, but we're selling T shirts.

[Chris Bentley]

I mean, I'm sure you got a ton of business out of that.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, we got a lot of interest, a lot of interesting things that came out of that. Yeah.

[Chris Bentley]

So Smart coast was named Time best invention, which is really cool.

[Chris Canik]

It was on the list. Yeah, it was on the list.

[Chris Bentley]

That's really something to be proud of. So that's really cool. You got a lot of stuff. And it sounds like the company is rolling in the right direction.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah. I mean, with innovation, here's the thing. I'm used to bootstrapping everything. Right, right.

[Chris Bentley]

I'm the same way.

[Chris Canik]

And so with innovation and new technologies, it's very capital intensive. And so I would say for the last decade, I'm always looking to raise capital to go take the company to the next phase of growth. And we have some very interesting enterprise customers. But capital is always the key. You know, can you do this? Can you do that? I can. It just costs money, Right? We can figure it out. It just costs money. And so I'm always in a fundraising mode.

[Chris Bentley]

If there was one thing that you can go back and change because I know that you had, you know, obviously you got a gift, you know, which is, you know, chemicals and, and being scientific outside of the comedy and stuff like that, obviously speaking is really good for you. Being on TV is obviously nothing for you. If there was something that you could go back, I don't know, 10, 20 years from today that you could change to propel yourself quicker to where you are right now, is there anything that you could do?

[Chris Canik]

I do three things. Number one, I'd go back to myself at 10 years old and tell myself, don't pick chemistry because you're going to bring yourself a lot of fucking heartache and interesting shit that you're not prepared for. Number two, I'd go back to myself when things are going sideways and I feel like it's the end of the world. And I think this is what a lot of business owners don't realize or a lot of people who are trying to do something. Nothing is the end of the world. It's just a failure is not the end.

[Chris Bentley]

Right.

[Chris Canik]

It's just a learning experience. And so I would say that to my earlier self. And number three, I don't know, maybe I shouldn't have had that bagel at the airport. That's it.

[Chris Bentley]

Chris, if somebody wanted to get in touch with you and learn more about smart cups or any of your run ins with celebrities, where would they find you?

[Chris Canik]

You can find me. I have an Instagram now, so you can find me. CEO, dad, life. I have three kids and so they mean more to me than anything else I have on this planet. Or you can go to smartcups.com or energy by Smart Cups if you want to buy any of our products. Energy by smartcups.com we have two flavors of energy drinks. You just add water. And we have a cognition product, a focus shot, so you can go there.

[Chris Bentley]

Awesome. Chris, I appreciate you being on the show and flying up. Yeah, I guess flying over.

[Chris Canik]

Yeah, flying over. Yeah, yeah, no problem. Yeah, thanks for having me.

[Chris Bentley]

I appreciate it.

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[Chris Canik]

Check engine ABS or maintenance light on.

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[Chris Bentley]

Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today.

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