← Living Your Legacy
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- [00:00]
A
I came from a small town in England, had no idea what caviar was until I moved to America. Right. Why has it become just culturally more like this phenomenon?
- [00:09]
B
How many times you go out to a restaurant and the first thing they. They bring the food out and somebody's taking a picture. Okay, so that's one thing I don't know about you, but I can't eat caviar at every meal because it's too expensive. But it's not made to be like, yeah, yeah, you know, it's. This is an experience. We are selling an experience, and it's something that, you know you can have once or twice in your life and you'll be fine. David Fields is the CEO and creative force behind America's Best Caviar, a brand redefining the luxury snack scene from the heart of Kentucky. With a mix of Southern charm, bold innovation, and a dash of indulgence. He's turning caviar from an exclusive delicacy into an experience everyone can savor.
- [00:45]
A
Let's talk business tactics. How did you get it out there? And obviously, everyone still has a long way to go, but, like, you've done a good job so far. What were some of the tips to get this traction?
- [00:55]
B
You know, I think you just got to keep knocking on that door. You can't be afraid to be told no, because you're going to be told no so many times. You better get used to it. You're going to be told so no so many times. But you know what? It spans the globe like a super high cold Internet. Elvis, Preston. I agree. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the mark. It's not over until I win. The Living youg Legacy podcast. For those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible has happened. Oh, that is sensational. Jordan, open Chicago with the lead. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream.
- [01:49]
A
Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Legacy Makers. Today we're going to talk about one of the most premium products on the planet, Caviar. I'm here with David, the founder of America's Best Caviar. And it really is that it's been voted in Forbes magazine in 2022 as one of the top Christmas gifts. It's in some of the most premium expensive events on the planet, eaten by celebrities, pro athletes. You've maybe come across it without even knowing, excited to dive into this business and everything that he's up to. David, welcome to the show.
- [02:20]
B
Thank you. I appreciate you having me.
- [02:22]
A
So let's dive in. I know you've got a premium product. You've grown this amazing brand and it's still growing and you're also building a legacy. So excited to dive into your episode, but if someone's watching now, they want to learn more about you and understand what you do. Can you just give a minute intro about your brand and you.
- [02:40]
B
Absolutely. The thing that makes us different is the fact that we, we buy from fishermen. This is a wild caught product. It is the two caviars that we process, that I process daily is the only wild caught caviars, black caviars in the world. So that being from America is a little bit different and it's not something that a lot of people know about. And so that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to get the word out there about how great this, how great of quality that this product actually is.
- [03:10]
A
And that's why it's, you know, obviously Forbes has mentioned it. I know you've been viral on the news, nationwide news stuff and a lot of big athletes and big VIP events.
- [03:20]
B
Yeah, absolutely. You know, we, we've done VIP events for, for the Kentucky Derby. We've been to world food championships. We've served it to, we've served it to just the biggest celebrities. The thing about it is about ours that makes it so unique and is the taste. It has a really, really high, rich, deep quality taste.
- [03:41]
A
So people can tell even if they're maybe not having it like an expert on it, if they had yours versus a normal standard brand, they could tell.
- [03:48]
B
No question, no question about it. Because it just has this deep richness that, that the farm raised varieties cannot, you know, duplicate.
- [03:58]
A
Why did you wake up one day and say, I want to do.
- [04:01]
B
Well, you know, to be honest with you, I didn't wake up and say that I want to do caviar became like almost a match made in heaven. Because I've always been an outdoorsman. I've always kind of been around the rivers and the lakes, but I was a sport fisherman. I didn't realize that there was a business side to this. And so when I was researching what businesses to kind of go into, I was a teacher and a coach and an educator and, and I loved it. But I had climbed the ladder so fast. I had gotten to a point where I was almost at, at the end of the ladder and I, I, I just wanted something different. You know, I needed, I needed something me because when I had that, I wasn't necessarily, you know, I knew what I was going to make from day one, no matter how hard I worked.
- [04:44]
A
Yeah, yeah.
- [04:45]
B
Well, I jumped into business very different, right? Oh, completely different. Completely different. And didn't really know what I was getting into. But you know What? That was 13 years ago and it's just, it's been the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Caviar in and of itself has its own story, but I feel like I have a unique story to go along with it.
- [05:06]
A
Yeah. And you're going to dive into that in your episode. We'll, we'll talk about it a little bit in a minute. Let's just talk about the business side. I'm interested in this product. You obviously care about the product. You care about the standard, the quality, why it's different. How did you get so like down that rabbit hole of excellence and like making it the best?
- [05:25]
B
Well, I, you know, I think a lot of it becomes okay. So my upbringing, I was, I was in a single, single parent home. My, my father raised me and so I, I really got to, to hanging around the kitchens of my grandmother and, and just, I had a love of food and I really kind of wanted to be a chef, but you know, we didn't have the Internet. We didn't have all these things back then. And so I didn't really know about culinary school. My dad was telling me, go make a lot of money. You know, be a doctor, you're smart, you can do that. But it just, I don't know, it just didn't resonate with me. So the caviar, it just kind of, it was like I said, it was a match made in heaven because it was. It's from the waters that I grew up on, I grew up around. And just the fact that, you know, when I learned everything I could about the business as far as like making a good quality product, I just wanted to make it better.
- [06:16]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
- [06:16]
B
And, and that was, you know, I really got a great sense of. I just felt so proud when someone would, would eat it or, or I would serve it to someone and they would tell me how good it is. I don't know. And it just, that fire just kind of.
- [06:31]
A
Well, I love, I good entrepreneur has that in common. Like when I go into something, I go all in. And even my team says, really? Why are you doing all these things and going. And I'm like, because I'm like obsessive, you know, just like making the best, it can be absolutely right. And I think all good entrepreneurs that are doing it the right way in the Ethical way. It's like they have that obsession around the product. I quote a lot on my podcast and stuff. Steve Jobs, you know, change the lights in the Apple store 100 times to just light the store. Not even the product, just the display that showed the product. Right. But that's the obsession that great entrepreneurs have.
- [07:07]
B
Yeah. And I think for me, that's what, that's what the drive was. And, and I just wanted to see what could I do. You know, I've done a lot of different experiments on this product. A lot of people say studies, I say experiments from how it's processed. And then once I took that in in the processing room and I felt like I had perfected that. Okay. So I felt like I could do as good as I could do with this product. Then I started researching how can I get that product better shape when I get it? Like, how can we. And so we've actually done something in the last two or three years that I feel like just makes a better overall product. And I just think that, you know, I think there's a difference between arrogance and confidence. And I think that difference is, is that when you're a confident person, you're willing to adapt, you're willing to change, but when you're arrogant, you already know everything. Well, I can tell you this. We are very confident in what we do, but we're always looking. Maybe there's a better.
- [08:06]
A
Always, right?
- [08:07]
B
Yeah, absolutely.
- [08:08]
A
So you talk a lot about the science, studying it. You know, I guess most products are just more mass manufactured for profit these days.
- [08:17]
B
Yeah. You know, the thing about. About what, what I took and tried to look at the molecular structure of the egg and why it was, it was. I can see it going through these processes. It's only one ingredient. Right. But I would see, when I would add, when I would add that ingredient to it, I could see how the eggs, when they would come in different phases and what would make them a little bit better here and there, you know, I might. Whereas you let it cure because it's a curing process. You might let it cure for two hours, three hours, you might do it in a cooler, you might not do it, you know.
- [08:50]
A
Yeah.
- [08:51]
B
So many different factors. So I just kind of did that and I sent it to. To Caviar. What I consider experts, and those are the people that, that are selling a lot of it, you know, and said, what do you think about it? And I needed that constant feedback, which a lot of, A lot of that feedback is scary. I think it was scary for me at first, but now I've gotten so used to it, I'll gladly put some caviar on a chip and put it in your face and say, tell me what you think and if you don't like it, tell me why. And I've really learned a lot by doing that, so.
- [09:21]
A
And that's why. Now I guess your brand's got to a point where the celebrities are using it in the big VIP events because you've got it to that premium level, right?
- [09:29]
B
I got it into the hand. That's the thing. I have to get it into their hand. If I can get it into their hands, that's no problem. You know, a lot of the problem is, is, is, is selling a product. Mine's not selling of the product, it's just like getting it to the person.
- [09:42]
A
Well, food based products are hard to market because they're. You have, you want to taste it, right? It's like, it's kind of like you, it's much easier to sell in person when they try a sample versus online.
- [09:54]
B
You know, and I, I've been, I've advertised, I've done everything under the sun. Made a lot of mistakes and you know, and I'm still making mistakes. I'm gonna make some today, I'm sure. But the thing about it is, is that we got to, to doing events where we just gave it away, you know, and just tried to have people come up and try it. Because to be honest with you, you know, I'm from a small town in Kentucky. We're not gonna sell much there. You know, we're not gonna. Now we're gonna sell it in Miami, you know, we're gonna sell it in New York. I have a wholesale company.
- [10:24]
A
I see a lot now.
- [10:25]
B
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I have a wholesale company now that, which is kind of where America's best caviar came from. But we sell all over the U.S. you know, we sell to LA and Seattle and New York and Miami. We sell all over the country. And so but most of the time it's not right there.
- [10:45]
A
Well, let's talk about that. So, you know, someone's listening. I came from a small town in England, had no idea what caviar was until I moved to America. Right. And why, why has it become just culturally more like this phenomenon? I feel in these days, it's, I.
- [11:00]
B
Think when you got the expansion of the food, you know, if, if, when you, how many times you go out to a restaurant and the first thing they, they bring the food out and somebody's taking a Picture. Okay, so that. So that's one thing. Then you got the status. You know, it is. Listen, we. Well, I don't know about you, but I can't eat caviar at every meal because it's too expensive. But it's not made to be like. Yeah, you know, it's. This is an experience. We are selling an experience, and it's something that, you know, you can have once or twice in your life and you'll be fine. I'll tell you this. There's not enough caviar in to serve it to everyone if they wanted it, you know.
- [11:35]
A
Well, and it's definitely in my, like, Miami. You can go to a restaurant, spend 500, two people, no problem, you know, like. So it's definitely a good fit. Yeah, absolutely. Like this.
- [11:45]
B
Absolutely. And that's just the thing I want. We should know where. What we put in our bodies. We should know where that's coming from, you know, And I'll tell you this. I can tell you who caught it. I can tell you when he caught it. I can tell you where he caught it. If he's telling me the truth and. And I process it. You know, there is not. There's not three other caviar companies in the world that can tell you that, you know, because a lot of it is kind of mass produced by a certain company, and then it's imported and then it's distributed throughout and. Yes.
- [12:18]
A
Mass market. Yeah. Eventually becomes. Even the luxury products. Eventually they become mass market. Exactly. Right, exactly. So I want to talk, you know, business and legacy a little more now, like, obviously super passionate about the product, but you've done, you. You've done and are doing very well. You know, you've been in Forbes and in all the news, all these events. Let's talk business tactics. How did you get it out there? And obviously, everyone still has a long way to go, but, like, you've done a good job so far. So if someone's listening and they have a product, maybe a food product or a product, what were some of the tips to get this traction?
- [12:52]
B
You know, I think you just got to keep knocking on that door because there are so many things that I've thought and so many different, you know, avenues and directions I thought we were going to go. And as I was working on this and really concentrating on this, I get this wild thing that happens, you know, and. And basically what I'm trying to say is you just got to keep going. You can't be afraid to get out there. You can't be Afraid to put yourself out there. You can't be afraid to be told no because you're going to be told no so many times. You better get used to it. You're going to be told so no so many times. But you know what? Those, those yeses and those wins, those little bitty, those little bitty things, those little bitty victories that we have, they mean the world. Well.
- [13:34]
A
Yeah. And people, it's funny, people always ask me, rudy, where you want to be in five, 10 years? I'm like, if you'd asked me that five, 10 years ago, I wouldn't have said I was doing this. And. And you just never know. But you have to believe and just keep going. And it's like, you wouldn't have known. You'd have got featured in Forbes or at these events. Right.
- [13:51]
B
But, man, I am sitting here. I mean, a simple. Or I consider myself. I'm a simple man from. Originally from Mayfield, Kentucky. I live in Murray, Kentucky, right now. And I'm talking to you right here in Miami. I mean, I flew down here to do that. This blows my mind. So anything is possible. It really is. You know, do not stand. Well, I like to say, do not stand in your own way.
- [14:17]
A
Yeah.
- [14:18]
B
You know, don't. You can do it.
- [14:19]
A
Well, if it doesn't work, man, you.
- [14:21]
B
Just got to keep going.
- [14:22]
A
Well, let's talk about that. So someone else, maybe they're from Kentucky or a small town, and they're not where you're at right now, but maybe where you were. And they, they, you know, a lot of people, when they start, they don't have that belief. Right. It holds them back. What would you say to that person?
- [14:35]
B
You. You just have to drive forward. It will happen. It will. You know what? And if it wasn't. If it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be. But, man, you have to do everything in your power. I don't want to be the roadblock. You know what I mean? I want Rudy to be my roadblock, but I don't want to be the roadblock to myself. You know what I'm saying? I'll put. So if I've done everything in my power, then at the end of the day, you know what? I put my head down, go to sleep, and wake up with my head held high and just keep going the next day.
- [15:04]
A
But I think a lot of people, it's great, you know, to talk about this, because I think a lot of people, they want. They want the goal, they want the life, they want the business, they want to Quit their nine till five. But they don't take action. What would you say to someone stuck in that? Like, they keep talking about it, but they don't do it.
- [15:21]
B
I always say, you know, don't, don't. Don't talk about it, be about it.
- [15:25]
A
Okay.
- [15:25]
B
And you may have to take steps and it may. Listen, if it happens overnight, man, great. I hope it does. I, you know, I really do. But it's probably not gonna happen. Yeah, overnight it's good. Yeah. I'm 13 years into this, and you know what? I tell you what I felt the trap that I fell into is I got comfortable. Thing was kind of going okay, you know, but business is always. You have to adapt and you have to change and started kind of getting. I'm okay right here. You know, we're doing a little wholesale. We're doing retail, America's best caviars. But then, you know, I just realized, hey, you're, You're. You're doing a disservice to the people that you're working for. And what I mean by that is the people that's bringing me the product, the people that, that have really made me who I am, but I'm also doing a disservice to myself and the product. You know, this is a premium product. It needs to be out there. And so now, you know what? I'm up to the plate and I'm swinging for the fence. I may strike out, but you know what? I'm going to bat.
- [16:22]
A
Yeah, there's, you know that famous saying, you're never going to get to 80 or your deathbed and regret not trying to do it. Right, Exactly.
- [16:31]
B
Exactly.
- [16:31]
A
Yeah. I love that. So, so that's. And that's a great lead into the legacy side. Right. So someone's watching this, listening maybe, and they haven't tuned into your episode yet. What are some things, you know, they're going to learn more about, you know, this mindset side, which I love too. What are they going to take away from your story?
- [16:47]
B
You know, I think I story. The biggest thing about my story is that I'm. I think I was just an average, average guy, you know, in an average town doing average things. And I had this dream and I had this goal to. To. To be somebody. I'm the one that decides what that somebody is. I don't. I'm not defined by what someone else thinks, you know, and so for me, I just wanted to be somebody. And right now I'm still trying to climb. You know, I go to work every day I've been doing this for 13 years. You know, I've done pretty good. A lot of businesses come and go in that time and I've seen a lot of businesses in our industry come and go in that time and I still drive to work every day and like, am I going to make it? Am I going to do it? Am I going to. You know, I still have that hunger and I still have that drive.
- [17:34]
A
Yeah, I love it. Yeah. I've been in the marketing world for a very long time to a decade and same thing, I see these marketers come and go and blow up and go, you know, and then two years later, you never, you like, where's that person gone? Right. So I think, think, you know, that consistency is so important and there's going to be ups and downs, but you have to keep going. And I love what you said too. Like, you know, you see yourself as this average person from average place, but that's 99 of the world. Right. They're trying to live their life and pursue their goals. So the whole point of Legacy Makers is to showcase more of that. Right. Because I think, you know, in the news we see so much of the most famous celebrity on the planet and they're almost too far away to resonate with.
- [18:17]
B
Yeah. You know, when, when, when we had a national story go, and people around me and my friends, you know, they're like, oh, man, you made it. You did it. Well, you made it. And I'm like, no, I didn't make any. I'm just now starting.
- [18:32]
A
But it's a stepping stone.
- [18:33]
B
This is a starting point. I mean, you know, and everything that I've worked for just to get to this point, this is the start.
- [18:39]
A
Well, I see the same, even with me. Right. Everyone says you made it, but it's like, like in my head, like, let's use the river analogy or fisherman. Like, I've laid the first couple of steps across the river down, but there's like this gushing water. Like I still got 80, 90% of the. The road to build. And, and it sounds you're in a similar place and absolutely everyone else thinks you've made it. Right. But in your head, because your goals are so big, you know, you're just at the start of your journey.
- [19:03]
B
You know, it really, it really bothered me at first. I really didn't know how to handle it.
- [19:07]
A
Okay.
- [19:08]
B
When they're telling me all this and, and again, I had, I had someone tell me someone bought some caviar from me and said, well, you made it, you Know, and I said, I haven't made anything. And they said, what's making it to you? And I said, you know what? I'll tell you when I feel like I've reached that point, you know, but I'm, I don't even know what that is, but.
- [19:28]
A
And it's not the money side either. Right. Like, a lot of people assume. It's like, you want to make a billion. It's like, no, it's more like, you know, impacting and change and building a company that's more, even more well known. Right.
- [19:40]
B
You know, know, it's funny you say that, because when I got into it, I thought, when they said, here's this opportunity, I thought, caviar. And I thought, oh, caviar money. Yeah, let's go make a million dollars. You know, 13 years in, I'm still working my tail off, still trying. And it ain't because I have Bill, or it's not because I have billions. You know what I'm saying? But you're exactly right, I think, and I think that's what the greatest thing about business is, is that it's ever changing. And you may think one thing, but, but it could be something totally different. And, and the direction that it goes. Good.
- [20:13]
A
Well, and, and let's just, you know, finish that when we talk about the future with the legacy side. Right. So what does a legacy mean to you?
- [20:20]
B
You know, legacy, I, I, I think for me is it's, it's just about leaving a lasting, positive impact on just people in your circle, people that's in your world. And that for me, that's my kids, you know, that's my wife. That's, that's the, the fisherman. The people that I affect daily. You know, I think the people that mean the most to me is, you know, you think of them and you kind of like, smile, you know, and the legacy that I want to leave for my people is that I did everything in my power to help them and to help me succeed. And I just feel like it's a team. You know, we always say teamwork makes the dream work, which is a slogan. But still, I just, I do it for them, and they do it for me. And sometimes the money gets kind of, kind of caught in the crosshairs. But that's, that's really what what I feel like I'm about. I want to leave a lasting legacy for people to say, man, you know what? He, he did everything in his power to make sure that this was successful.
- [21:31]
A
Yeah. And you've mentioned a couple of times, you know, small town. And, you know, you're obviously a humble, humble person, which I love, but do you think you've already done that through entrepreneurship with, like, setting an example to your kids and for, like, maybe fishermen and people that aren't maybe like, in this big entrepreneurial world, Are you starting to.
- [21:51]
B
I think it's there. I think there's an element of it. I just don't think it's finished. I don't. I don't think. I think if I was like an artist, you know, I, I really, I really haven't put everything. The canvas is not complete. Yeah, I think there's some, Some, some things there, but I think we have a lot of work to do, and that's what I'm trying to do. And that. The one thing that, you know, you'll learn in my episode, if we talk about the fishermen, because I'm very passionate about those guys, but the, the disconnect between them and me when it first started, but to see that relationship grow to where it is now, it's, it's. For me personally, it's very special.
- [22:30]
A
Very special. I love it. Good. Last question, then. If people are listening, they're inspired by, you know, your story and growth, and they want to start building their own legacy. What's one word, final word of tip or wisdom or motivation for them to go after it?
- [22:45]
B
I think it's drive. You know, I think it's two, actually. You know, I think you, You. Number one, you have to have the drive, and you have to have. And I don't mean drive when everything's good, you know, I mean, you have to have.
- [22:57]
A
Well, most of the business isn't good. It looks good.
- [23:02]
B
You know the thing for me, I was at my lowest point, and you're going to learn about this in the, in the episode, but I was at my lowest point and I thought I was done and someone said, embrace it. Embrace the. The suck, if you will. Embrace this. Because you know what? There's going to be a day and it's going to be glorious. And I was remember talking to this man, and I'm like, this guy's the biggest idiot I've ever. But you know what? He's right. And every time since then, I've thought, you know what? I don't think we could go any lower. I don't think it can be anywhere worse. But if it does, you know what? I just embrace because I know there's going to be a time to come out of it, and there's going to be some positivity and there's going to be some fruits of our labor.
- [23:40]
A
Well, one thing I'll just add to that I've constantly seen is when like. And I don't know if it's happened to you yet, but the time you think it sucks, end of the world one day, it's like, that's kind of normal. And you've got way worse things to worry about. Right. And you look back and go, I used to get so worried about this thing, you know, and it's.
- [24:00]
B
I still worry like it's my first year and you know, I. I Keep thinking after 13 years, I keep thinking, well, am I not gonna have to worry? You know, I think about other people. Yeah. I may be like, Rudy, Rudy has nothing to worry about.
- [24:13]
A
You always worry because it's like, well, you know, when I've grow, I grew to 110 employees. So, yeah, you have a big company, but now you have 110 employees. Right. And then I always quote Mark Zuckerberg. Yeah. Facebook, one of the biggest companies on the planet. But he gets a 200 million dollar lawsuit from the government. Right. So it's like he's still worried about that. Right. Like you is.
- [24:32]
B
Yeah. And that's that. I think that for me that was a little alarming was the fact that, dude, you're always going to work.
- [24:40]
A
Yeah. You just got to get used to. Used to it. Right?
- [24:43]
B
You have to.
- [24:43]
A
Yeah. Yeah. You have to.
- [24:44]
B
You can't let it consume.
- [24:45]
A
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I guess fishing, you know, I don't fish, but even the best, they lose. The fish rise is not like, you.
- [24:53]
B
Know, I don't think you can, you can't. You certainly can't dwell on the past. You better be careful about thinking too much about the present.
- [25:01]
A
Yeah.
- [25:01]
B
And you should always be looking forward.
- [25:03]
A
Yeah. Love it. Good. Well, it's a great place to wrap awesome episodes. Super excited to watch your main episode and dive more into your mindset, your story, all of these great things and yeah. That's a wrap, guys. Check out the full episode and I'll see you very soon on another episode of Legacy Makers.