How to Reinvent Yourself When You "Should Have Figured It Out By Now": Kelly Kopp

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Messy Parts with Maryam Banikarim

Episode: How to Reinvent Yourself When You "Should Have Figured It Out By Now": Kelly Kopp
Date: November 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, host Maryam Banikarim sits down with Kelly Kopp—known to many as “New York City Cop” on social media—for an open, vulnerable exploration of what it means to reinvent yourself, especially when life seems to fall apart at an age when you "should have it all figured out." Kelly shares the tumultuous series of losses that led him to leave Orlando for New York City in his forties, and how, through photography and an unwavering passion for the city, he transformed his life and career. This episode dives deep into resilience, the importance of following your passion, and the messy, non-linear path to self-discovery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hitting Rock Bottom and Facing Loss

• Kelly recounts losing his home during the 2008 mortgage crisis, his job due to the economic downturn, suffering a major health scare without insurance, and, most painfully, the loss of his best friend Sandy to cancer.
• Quote:

  “I was sitting at the edge of my pool, looking in the pool, thinking, I can understand. Not that I would ever do anything, but I could understand how people could use the point and be like, I just can't do it anymore.” — Kelly (A) [00:48]

2. The Role of Friendship and Grief as a Catalyst

• Sandy’s death became a pivotal moment for Kelly, teaching him the brevity of life and the value of truly living.
• Quote:

  “She taught me life’s short. Enjoy it. We’re only on this earth for so long. Appreciate every single moment and go live.” — Kelly (A) [05:40]

3. Reinvention in New York City

• Spurred by loss, Kelly sold everything and moved to New York with a single suitcase, determined to begin anew.
• He originally planned to go back to school for forensic psychology, inspired by crime scene photography, but a clerical error redirected him toward amateur street photography.
• Quote:

  “I moved to New York with a suitcase... I felt scared. Not at all. Not scared at all. When Sandy passed away, she kicked me, you know, said, go, go live your life. I was just determined to make it work in New York City.” — Kelly (A) [07:00–07:13]

4. Finding Joy Through Passion

• Kelly describes feeling real joy for the first time walking through Central Park with a camera, eventually connecting with the Central Park Conservancy and finding mentorship in Jim McGuire.
• Quote:

  “I had never, ever felt joy until I moved to New York City... I was like, wow. I was aware: this is joy.” — Kelly (A) [08:10]

5. Building a Brand & Community on Social Media

• By focusing obsessively on New York City’s beauty (rather than himself), Kelly built one of the most popular NYC photography accounts, inspiring followers worldwide.
• He monetized his work through multiple channels: influencer partnerships, tours where he photographs visitors with their phones, and community involvement.

6. Lessons on Reinvention and Success

Kelly’s advice is distilled to several practical lessons:

• Consistency: “Every single day, I mean, every morning I get up and I’m out the door.” — Kelly (A) [11:23]
• Side Hustles & Focus: Have multiple income streams but a single, authentic brand focus.

  “My brand is New York City. It’s all about New York City. It’s not about me. Sometimes people are like, show your face... but I really don’t, because I want to show New York City.” — Kelly (A) [13:43]

• Passion:

  “If you have a passion... do it, go for it, it’ll work.” — Kelly (A) [12:57]

• Adaptability: Kelly adapted from professional cameras to smartphone photography, and now enthusiastically embraces AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance his captions and learning.
• Community:

  “When everybody’s doing their passion and has that commonality, there’s no space for negativity... everyone’s positive and inspiring to be around.” — Kelly (A) [17:53]

7. Navigating Setbacks and Motivation

• Kelly admits not everything has been smooth, but he emphasizes the need to keep going, find motivation (sometimes through books or motivational social content), and give yourself permission to process tough feelings—then keep moving forward.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the transformative power of loss:

  “I just think you have to get through those bad experiences to see the joy in life, because it is there. Because I didn’t see the joy in life while I was going through it, but once I came out of it, I found my joy in life.” — Kelly (A) [16:59]

• On the energy and reality of New York City:

  “People think that it’s constant chaos and danger here, which it’s not... For the most part it’s a beautiful city. For the most part it’s pretty safe. What you see with my social media, my photography, my live videos, is what you see is what you get.” — Kelly (A) [23:17]

• On arriving in New York:

  “I just found I was in a place I was supposed to be.” — Kelly (A) [17:36]

• What he’d tell his lowest self:

  “You’ll be okay. That’s the only thing I would think I would need to hear at that point, is, you’ll be okay, and then go for it after that.” — Kelly (A) [29:19]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Rock bottom and Sandy’s loss: [00:00–05:18]
• Decision to move and first days in NYC: [06:09–07:33]
• Starting photography in NYC/Central Park Conservancy: [08:08–09:23]
• Building a brand and business, adapting to technology: [10:17–13:43]
• Lessons on passion, focus, and resilience: [12:57–15:07]
• Advice for major life and career transitions: [16:07–17:22]
• Community and the importance of connection: [17:46–18:25]
• Adapting to smartphone photography & AI: [18:25–21:44]
• Final advice and what he’d tell his younger self: [28:51–29:56]

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Rapid Fire & Personal Favorites

• Karaoke/walk-on song: “Living on a Prayer” — Bon Jovi [27:33]
• Potluck food: Banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery [27:58]
• Alternative career: Newscaster, radio host like Casey Kasem [28:08]
• Current binge: The Gilded Age (“I’m addicted to that show...learning about New York City.”) [28:22]
• Surprise fact: Identical twin [28:45]

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Actionable Takeaways

• Follow your passion: Whatever makes your heart sing, pursue it relentlessly.
• Stay consistent: Show up every day, even when it feels hard.
• Be open to change: Embrace new tools and let go of old ways when the world changes.
• Community matters: Seek out and cultivate supportive circles.
• It gets better: Even when at your lowest, remind yourself, “You’ll be okay.” [29:19]

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Closing Thought

Kelly’s story is a striking reminder that life’s messiest chapters can be the catalyst for our most meaningful reinventions. No matter your age or starting point, embracing change, pursuing joy, and staying laser-focused on what you love can lead to unexpected and fulfilling new chapters.

“Do whatever makes your heart sing. Do that. That’s the bottom line.” — Kelly (A) [28:51]

Transcript

[A]

It was just so stressful. You know, I lost my job, I lost my house. I'm in the hospital. I have to go back. They tell me I have to put a stent in. I didn't think things could get worse, but they continued to get worse.

[B]

And is this about when your friend Sandy passed away?

[A]

Sandy and I, you know, we have been good friends for years, and we were really, really close. And then she got diagnosed with cancer, and it was quick from diagnosis to her passing away. It was very. It seemed so sudden, and it was. It was a huge, huge impact on me. We were very close, and that was the tipping point for me to where I don't think I can really. There was a point where I was sitting at the edge of my pool, looking in the pool, thinking, I can understand. Not that I would ever do anything, but I could understand how people could use the point and be like, I just can't do it anymore. You know, I remember thinking that, like, gosh, I get how people get to the point where they just can't take it anymore.

[B]

Today on the Messy Parts podcast we're having on Kelly Kopp, you might know him as New York City Cop. He has this incredible story where right around the age of 40, everything in his life went wrong. He lost his house, his job, his best friend, and somehow he was able to pivot and reinvent himself in New York City. It's a remarkable story, and one you're not going to want to miss. Kelly, I can't thank you enough for coming on. You and I got to know each other when you actually came to cover the Longest Table, which, you know, is an event that we've been doing here in Chelsea to gather neighbors, just to connect them over a simple lunch.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And we got to know each other, really, through DMs, because I don't even know if I met you in person, because there was, like, a thousand people at the potluck.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So let's start from the beginning, because you grew up in Florida, in Orlando, the land of Disneyland.

[A]

A lot of people don't know this, but I was born in Iowa, but we moved to Orlando. You know, I was in school. So most of my life was Orlando before New York. I actually worked at Disney for a while.

[B]

Yeah. And so you told me earlier that you wanted to go into hospitality.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

Would make sense. Right. Because it's such a big part of the industry, I would imagine, in Orlando.

[A]

And that's what I did. And I was a manager at Planet Hollywood in Orlando, a Disney property you know, gosh, for about eight years, I really enjoyed it. And then I worked in other restaurants in Orlando, too.

[B]

But then there was this moment that things changed for you unexpectedly.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

Why don't you tell me a little bit about that?

[A]

I bought a house in Orlando, and I was a 31 bungalow, downtown Orlando. I loved it. And this was part of the mortgage crisis back in 2007. Eight, nine, whatever it was, whatever years those were. And I ended up losing the house. And that was the beginning of the domino effect of what was a really messy part of my life.

[B]

You lose the house, which must have been incredibly traumatic. You also have a health scare and you lose your job and.

[A]

Yeah, I lost, I lost my job too, because of the economy and then from the stress, you know, I was having some chest pain, so I thought, you know, I'm 40 at this point and I'm going to go to the ER and just get checked. I thought they just give me an ekg. Ended up getting, well, they admitted me because.

[B]

Wait, can I ask, did you have health insurance at this point?

[A]

I did not either because I didn't.

[B]

Have my worst nightmare.

[A]

Yeah, it was a, it was, it was a really bad time. Every. All the, everything was against me. And so here I'm in the hospital in the cardiac unit for a week.

[B]

Cha, ching, cha ching, ching.

[A]

Exactly. You know, but at this point in my mind, I'm thinking, well, my health is most important. They actually released me after weeks of test, you're free to go, blah, blah, blah, you're good. I said, well, what are the results? And I said, well, we haven't gotten them yet, but, you know, whatever terminology, they said, you should be fine. Sure enough, I go home. It was Memorial Day Florida. Hospital calls and says, you need to come back immediately. I went back, they said I had 80% blockage, they need to put a stent in. The next morning they went in to put the stent in, and nothing was wrong. So I don't even know how that happened. So it just seems like everything in my life was just worst case scenario. Even though my heart was okay in a sense, but it was just so stressful, you know, I lost my job, I lost my house, I'm in the hospital, I have to go back. They tell me I have a put a stent in. I didn't think things could get worse, but they continued to get worse.

[B]

And is this about when your friend Sandy passed away?

[A]

Sandy and I, you know, we have been good friends for years and we were really, really close. And then she got diagnosed with cancer, and it was quick from diagnosis to her passing away. It was very. It seemed so sudden as well. And it was. It was a huge, huge impact on me. We were very close, and that was the tipping point for me to where I don't think I can really. There was a point where I was sitting at the edge of my pool, looking in the pool, thinking, I can understand. Not that I would ever do anything, but I could understand how people could use the point and be like, I just can't do it anymore. You know, I remember thinking that, like, gosh, I get how people get to the point where they just can't take it anymore.

[B]

How did you find your way out of what sounds like a pretty dark point?

[A]

I had been to New York previously, and I really loved it. And Sandy, she taught me to live, you know, and she taught me, life is short because I still, you know, in our early 40s, I felt I was still pretty young at that point.

[B]

And love that you thought of yourself as Young at 40. That's so great, you know, because I do think it's young.

[A]

Yeah. And she taught me life short. Enjoy it. We're only on this earth for so long. And appreciate every single moment and go live.

[B]

You've lost your house, you've lost your job, you've had a major health scare, and you've lost a dear friend.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

And you're sitting at the side of the pool thinking, oh, my God, like, it's just over. How do you then pivot to saying, you know, I learned this lesson from Sandy, and I'm gonna, of all places, decide to go to New York, which we know is not easy.

[A]

Something changed in me, and I thought, you know what? I've been through a really rough time. I'm gonna go to New York and just start over. I had visited one time. I loved it. And I had friends also who lived here, too. So I thought, you know, I'm gonna figure it out. I'm just gonna do it and go do what I need to do and live life. And I did.

[B]

When had you visited New York before?

[A]

Gosh, 1990.

[B]

And what had brought you here?

[A]

I was on the Ricki Lakes show with my twin brother. As one is, you know, it was some random story. A friend of mine must have known someone.

[B]

When you came, did you fall in love with the dark?

[A]

I did. Instantly. I loved it. It's like, I would love to live there, but I never thought it would happen. It was just a thought. But when Sandy passed away, that's what kicked me and made me realize, hey, you know, life's short, go enjoy it, do what you want to do. Go move to New York.

[B]

Did you sell everything and then buy a one way ticket?

[A]

Yep.

[B]

It's like a movie.

[A]

Yep. Just got rid of everything, gave stuff away, sold stuff and moved to New York with a suitcase.

[B]

Walk me through what? Like that first week was like I.

[A]

Was staying with friends on their couch and I was happy to be here. I felt scared. Not at all. Not scared at all. You know, when Sandy passed away, she kicked me, you know, said, go, go live your life. I was just determined to make it work in New York City. And I felt it would and I had no question.

[B]

Did you have plan for what you were going to do once you got here?

[A]

Yeah, I was going to go back to school too. I was proactive and actually had signed up for school here at the John Jay College here. And I was going to go back for forensic psychology and was hoping to be a photographer maybe for the NYPD for crime scenes and things like that.

[B]

Like a Law and Order episode?

[A]

Yeah, exactly. And then I went to sign up for classes. I guess I was too proactive because admissions expired a certain time. I didn't know that. And I went to sign up for classes. They couldn't find me in the system. And that was a little kick to me because I couldn't sign up for classes. I had to wait again. That was actually a good thing too because I actually started taking photos here in New York City.

[B]

Were you a photographer?

[A]

Yeah, I was a photographer. I was not. I was just like an amateur photographer. But it took off here in New York City, you know, I mean, New York City is so beautiful. Every single square inch of the city to me is beautiful. You know what? I had never, ever felt joy until I moved to New York City. And I remember walking through Central park. That's the first of my life recognizing, feeling joy. And it was just this feeling I've never had before. And I was like, wow. I was aware this is joy. And so I knew I was in the right place. But, you know, I became a photographer actually with the Central Park Conservancy.

[B]

How did that happen?

[A]

I started volunteering with them just to show people the park. And Jim McGuire was the head of the Central Park Conservancy and he recognized my photos and stuff from social media.

[B]

Because you were posting them already on social media.

[A]

I was already posting them on social media. And I was in Central park every day around the city too, but mostly Central park. And they asked me to also be a photographer with the conservancy. And then that just really started going from there. And Jim McGuire, he was the head of the Central Park Conservancy. He was like my mentor, this incredible guy. He was just my biggest cheerleader. He just would tell people, hey, this is Kelly Kopp. Now my name is New York City Cop. My, you know, with my social media. And he was. This is his work, and blah, blah, blah. And Jim McGuire is an incredible guy. He was really my mentor.

[B]

He.

[A]

He has no idea the impact he had on me.

[B]

And so you all of a sudden were posting your amazing pictures on social, and did you have a sense that you wanted to be an influencer and have like, almost a million followers on Instagram, for example?

[A]

No, not at all. I didn't. I just loved what I was doing. You know, it made me happy every day to wake up and go out and take photos, be in Central park, just take photos every single day. And then I started getting messages, you know, I was growing on social media, and I started getting messages from people around the world saying, you know, it's my dream to go to New York City. I'll never be able to go to New York City. That's what's really keeps me going to this day. Because the beautiful messages I get from people from all over the world, from every country in the world, basically. You know, over the years now, it's also heartbreaking, too, because I wish I could bring them here, but it's nice to be able to bring New York City to people around the world now. It brings me joy.

[B]

I'm trying to figure out, like, if I'm a listener, I want to come to New York. Like many people who follow you, how did you make ends meet? Because this is not an inexpensive city, Right. So there's a lot of people who want to sort of have careers as influencers.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know, we can have mixed feelings about that word, but how did that become something that you could monetize and actually do?

[A]

Even though I say 40 was younger, but now being an older person on social media, you know, I learned a lot from my younger friends in the photography community on social media. You know, there are a lot of photographers here in New York City, and we become this community, too. And thanks to them helping this older guy out, you know, they've been great. They just taught me to go out and work every day. I don't really call it work because I love what I do now. But when you take photos every day, when you do your passion every day really does reward you. So with Instagram, Twitter, or whatever it's called now, Tick tock, you know, Facebook, all that, I mean, you can monetize everything you do.

[B]

Now the thing that you're describing is consistency, right?

[A]

Yes. Every single day. I mean, every morning I get up and I'm out the door. So now I also have. I also. I love what I do in showing people in New York City and taking it to them. But when people come to New York City, I was thinking, how can I hang out with these people and show them New York City? I'm like, I'll start a tour business. I used to do professional photos with them. So I would take them around the city on the Brooklyn Bridge with the most beautiful backdrops behind them, or Times Square, wherever they want to go, Central Park. And I would take professional photos of them. But it became a little bit too much because with editing and everything with photos, it was take too much time to find myself at home. And so one of my friends, one of my younger friends said, hey, people use cell phones now to use photos. And I thought, I would never do that, you know, but now I transition to that, and people love it.

[B]

So you have a chore business where you give people chores and you actually teach them how to use their iPhones to take pictures. And you take them as well?

[A]

Yes, Well, I take, you know, I take tons of photos and some videos of them too. And if they want me to show them too, I really help them take certain angles and things like that, you know, if they want me to, which a lot of people do.

[B]

So those are two tips that I have. One is consistency. Like, you have an idea, you just gotta do it every single day.

[A]

Every single day.

[B]

The second one is you're like a millennial. Cause you have multiple side hustles. You are an influencer yourself. But then you're doing a tour guide business. I know you also have a podcast, right?

[A]

Corre.

[B]

It's multiple income streams in a lot of ways. Is another one of the things. Is there anything else? If you think back to, like a younger self or somebody who's actually 40 and wants to start off, like another piece of advice you would give them.

[A]

I would say if you have a passion, whatever it is, mine's photography, mine's New York City, mostly New York City. And then all these different avenues of ways that I use New York City to monetize and to share with people. But whatever your passion is, do it, go for it, it'll work. Yeah.

[B]

So Go for it is your third lesson, but I heard a fourth one in what you described, which is a very specific focus. Right. And when you came in, you and I had a conversation how people said you should actually share on your social more about your personal life. And you said, no, I am about New York City. I'm New York City cop. And so that consistent focus is also a lesson because you're not trying to be everything all the time. You actually are very single minded about the focus of your work.

[A]

Right, exactly. You have a passion. You hone in on it and stick to it. You know, my brand is New York City. It's all about New York City. It's not about me. And sometimes people like, show your face, which I do once in a while, but I really don't because I want to show New York City and it works.

[B]

I know that as somebody who's interested in everything, that can be very difficult for me. Right. I sort of want to do a million things. And so staying consistent is hard in some ways.

[A]

Right.

[B]

What allows you to be so laser focused, so focused on your niche, and so committed to not sort of zigging and zagging, which is something I would definitely be doing.

[A]

I think about this too. I always say that, you know, New Yorkers are born all over the world, so people have that connection with New York City. So, you know, I bring New York City to them and I just feel that it's important for me to continue daily to share the joy that I have. You know, that's thanks to Sandy that I have that I have this joy every day in New York City. And it's important to me to bring it to people who, you know, cannot be here. That's what keeps me going every single day. You know, the reason I started my tour business was how to show people New York City and do my photography too, but share that joy that I have for New York City with them. You know, my passion is New York City and showing people, and that's what keeps me going every single day.

[B]

Was your family surprised when you left Florida?

[A]

No, I don't think so. I don't think so. You know, I never really talked to him about that. But, you know, I did stay with my parents a couple weeks before I moved to New York City to, you know, so I had some time with them. They knew I was determined. They knew I was coming to New York City and nothing could stop me. I would. That was my mission. That's what I wanted to do. And I needed this change. I needed a New Beginning, and I really wasn't sure. I had no idea. If I could look back today, sit on this couch with you, I wouldn't believe that I would be where I am today. I was in Orlando. What I thought was moving up in my career with Planet Hollywood, too. I was happy. I'm like, oh, I work with Planet Hollywood, and I think this is cool back then. So I was working in Miami a couple of times, too, with them, and then my life took a turn, and now here I am in New York City following this passion I didn't know that was in me, that actually Sandy kicked me and made me see this passion that I have.

[B]

So there's so many great lessons in that. But I want to come back because I think that you described a pretty difficult experience that led to you moving to New York.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

And I wonder if you think back to those early moments where you were trying to make your way, because I know the job market is difficult. People are going through all kinds of transitions at a young age, mid career, later in their life. And I think about that for myself. I think when I reflected back, because I had to do a TED Talk, sometimes you need a moment like that or a moment on the couch. I realized, really, thanks to a neighbor, that I look at obstacles as an obstacle course. So that allows me to not be thrown by them, but to almost think of them as a Rubik's Cube, like, it's a game I'm trying to solve. When you look back at those moments that were difficult, because that's a pretty remarkable pivot that you were able to make, right? Like, are there any lessons that people can take back from your experience?

[A]

I just think you just have to get through those bad experiences to see the joy in life, because it is there. Because I didn't see the joy in life while I was going through it, but once I came out of it, I found my joy in life. It does happen. You just have to keep moving forward. You know, you have to find your passion and follow it, and then things will work out.

[B]

But you must have had fear. There had to have been a moment where you were like, oh, my God, this is just too much.

[A]

Oh, and Orlando. Definitely it was too much. Definitely I had fear, but once I moved to New York, I didn't.

[B]

How did that fear just go away?

[A]

I don't know, because I found I was in a place I was supposed to be. I felt I was where I should be. I felt, you know, this is what I should be doing. And 100%.

[B]

Did you find community. When you arrived, like, did you find a group of people that sort of made you feel like you belonged?

[A]

Not right away. I was just kind of finding my way in New York City and then it just kind of evolved through my photography and talking to other photographers across social media, becoming good friends with other photographers and hanging out with them and finding this community that is wonderful, you know, and supportive and everybody's so happy. And when everybody's doing their passion and, and has that commonality, there's no space for negativity either. And that's a really nice place to be too, with all these people who are positive and inspiring to be around.

[B]

But it's an interesting thing because if I think about photography, I think in a lot of ways the iPhone sort of disintermediated the photography business. I mean, I know lots of people who were photographers before the iPhone and when that came, all of a sudden their business dried up and it changed. Right here you naturally pivoted into the iPhone and you're leaning in here.

[A]

I did, actually, yeah. It was seamless, actually.

[B]

So I mean, you were willing to sort of learn this new thing and you weren't so tied to the old thing that it was hard for you to sort of let it.

[A]

I still do prefer my professional camera, but I mean, with where we are today with technology, the cell phone, you know, does, does what it can do. It does the job.

[B]

So you were adaptable?

[A]

Adaptable, definitely. I think that's a key word too, is to be adaptable, you know, for things to succeed as well, is to see the changes with technology and you know, as time evolves, how the world evolves and to be easily adaptable, immutable and go with that. I think that's important too oftentimes people.

[B]

As they get older, they become set in their ways and it's more difficult for them to learn new things, right?

[A]

Correct.

[B]

What do you think it is about you that allows you to be open and sort of pivot in that way?

[A]

You know, I always try in general to be willing to learn and open minded about life in general. And so I guess that that falls into every category of my life. I think that's just my personality where I'm open to learning new things when it comes to my passion and being better at that and being better with people. You know, I think we're always learning every day about all of our facets in life. So I think to be open minded and to be a better version of ourself every day is important.

[B]

So now AI is coming into the field. Right. And that's beginning to disintermediate photography in a different way. How do you sort of keep abreast of all the new things now? Right.

[A]

Oh, I'm learning about it too, and I love AI. I absolutely love it. I think it's one of the most useful tools right now for me, what I do in social media. You know, it's easily accessible to get information and history about New York City and things like that. And I love it. I love right now learning about all the AI.

[B]

You don't worry about it sort of taking your job away?

[A]

No, no, I don't. Don't even think about it.

[B]

I actually was showing ChatGPT to a friend who was a speechwriter, and he was like, oh, my God, I'm so glad I'm at the end of my career, because this would take my job away. Right. He wasn't interested in trying it. He was just sort of overwhelmed by the whole experience. How come that doesn't happen to you?

[A]

I don't know. I think it's interesting to learn. It's fun to learn new things. And AI, in a sense with photography, is threatening because AI can create this image and everything, but I think that still the original image is what's important. I don't think AI would really take that away. It's going to be helpful, but I don't think it'll really take away from photography. We'll see.

[B]

What AI tools have you discovered that, like, really excite you?

[A]

Well, I mostly use just chatgpt. I love chatgpt. I think all that information that you need right there gives you that tool to explain things, you know, I mean, I can learn a lot about history quickly. I can learn about, gosh, you know, at your fingertips, anything about New York City. I just love ChatGPT. It just really helps with information, adding to my captions on my photos and things like that.

[B]

So when you look ahead, you know, you have this moment where you pivoted and you thought, I'm coming to New York. And that really became a transformative moment. It really has, like, defined a whole new chapter for you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

As you look ahead, do you have a sense of where you want to go?

[A]

I do, yeah. I want to continue my photography. I want to continue to grow my brand here in New York City. Continue to bring New York City into everybody's homes every day around the world. Whatever else I can bring into that, I will. You know, there's going to be other things I'm sure that I Learn that I can bring into what I've created. And I'm just going to continue to be doing what I do. The New York City Cop brand.

[B]

How many years have you lived here?

[A]

12.

[B]

What do you love about New York?

[A]

Everything.

[B]

What does that mean?

[A]

Yeah, I love the people. First and foremost, I love the people. I love being on the subway every day and sitting in this diverse group of people from all over the world that live here and also are visiting this city. We all, we got on each other's nerves, but at the same time we have each other's backs all the time too. People think of New York City as their home all over the world because they've seen movies, they've seen films and everything and it's their dream to come here. So when people come here and they experience it, the electricity of walking through Times Square, the joy of walking through a snow covered Central park and of how peaceful and calm it is in the center of the city. There's so many things about New York City that it's endless to describe. What I love about this city.

[B]

What's one misconception you think people have about New York?

[A]

People think that it's constant chaos and danger here, which it's not. You know, we live here in this city, we ride the subways. No city's perfect. But I mean for the most part it's a beautiful city. For the most part it's pretty safe. And that's what I love about doing my videos, is what you see with my social media, my photography, my live videos is what you see is what you get. I'm showing the real New York City. I'm not hiding anything. I'm, I don't have an agenda to. I'm going to prove people wrong. I just go out every day and show what my heart sees in New York City. It's amazing.

[B]

Burrow you like outside of Manhattan?

[A]

A burrow that I love outside Manhattan. Gosh, I love them all equally. But like your children. Yeah, I like the Bronx.

[B]

Why?

[A]

I can walk over the High Bridge. Over what?

[B]

Sorry, what is the High Bridge?

[A]

The High Bridge is this like hundred year old bridge that connects Manhattan to the Bronx. And I can walk over what is the Harlem river, which the east river turns into the Harlem river and kind of walk over the High Bridge and walk over to Yankee Stadium and I can see the, you know, people in line are getting ready to go to a game. I can walk over to the Joker stairs where that movie the Joker was filmed. And I love the energy in the Bronx I love the, I love a lot of the street art all over the Bronx. You know, that's, that's the birthplace of hip hop too. I think it has a. Just a lot of really rich culture in the Bronx. I really love that, that that borough.

[B]

You might have needed to have been a history major. So in the last 12 years, I mean, we definitely heard about the messy parts of times in Orlando. Have there been messy parts in this 12 year period?

[A]

I mean, it hasn't been, you know, 100% smooth sailing the entire time takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of determination. And there's been a little bit of times where I was thinking in the beginning, well, I don't know if I can do this. This is a lot of work. But it worked, it happened. I followed my passion and it's happening and it works. I guess I left the bad times behind me before I moved to New York.

[B]

It's like I flipped a page and all of a sudden you're like a different person.

[A]

Yeah, it really is. I wouldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. Over a decade ago, I mean, it hasn't been 100% smooth sailing, but it's been for the most part, pretty great.

[B]

I need to know how to bottle this like that. I leave this really terrible bad part and all of a sudden everything is roses.

[A]

Well, not everything is roses, but I mean, it's a lot of hard work and I'm determined to continue my passion. When you find your passion and you just keep doing it every day, when you find your passion, you want to do it every day. And like I said, no matter what it is, it doesn't have to be photography. It can be anything. Once you find your passion, I think you just, you just go for it and keep doing it and keep pushing at it.

[B]

Pretty much everyone who sat at this couch keeps at it. Even when they trip, they just keep.

[A]

At it and they just keep going every day.

[B]

Definitely work hard, but they seem to have tricks for how to find their way out when they fall into the hole. Because, you know, we all have bad days, Right. Is there sort of a trick you have when you have a bad day or on a gas tire? We were having the conversation about her and she was saying how she gives herself 24 hours to feel bad, sort of wallow in it and then find her way out.

[A]

Right. That's a really good thing to talk about because sometimes I do have to motivate myself. What I do is I just read some motivational books or something. I'll try to watch something that's motivational or I'll find something that's motivational on social media that I'll watch that, you know, that'll kick me out of this little bit of a funk that I'm in that day, and then it'll push me, and I'll go out and do it.

[B]

What's an example of that?

[A]

Just, you know, there's a lot of motivational people that I follow on social media.

[B]

Do you ever do things outside of social media? Because it sounds like you're on social media. A lot of.

[A]

You mean just like in my regular life. Yeah. I do find time to go out to eat and, you know, hang out with friends. But, you know, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, I could do a video right now. I could do this. It is challenging because I. It's hard for me to be with friends that don't do social media. And I'm like, hold on one second. I just got to do a quick photo. I got to do a quick video, you know, but you're that guy. Yeah, so. But I do, when I'm out with friends, I try to keep my phone if we're out to dinner and don't really pay attention to it, you know, because I understand that could be frustrating.

[B]

I will say my family complains all the time, because when you're in. You're in 24 7.

[A]

Yeah, 100. I agree.

[B]

All right, we're going to do rapid fire questions. What would be your karaoke or walk on song?

[A]

I'm not a big karaoke person. I tried it when I was a manager at Planet Hollywood at a work party, and I. I thought. In my mind, I thought I would. You know, I was this great rock star, and I'm not. So I'm not a big karaoke person. I would say Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, at least, like the. It comes out strong right away. You know, the music and then the lyrics.

[B]

Pretty good food you'd bring to a potluck or the longest table.

[A]

I bring a banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery.

[B]

Okay. That is the best banana.

[A]

Isn't that amazing? Yeah, amazing.

[B]

What is an alternative career you might have had if not the one you have today?

[A]

I always wanted to be a newscaster or maybe like Casey Kasem Top 40. That's taking me, taking people back. I don't know. You know, I miss Casey Kasem Top 40. I think it'd be a. I love top 40.

[B]

What are you reading, listening, or watching?

[A]

I am on the last episode of the Gilded Age. I cannot get enough of that show. Cannot get enough. I'm addicted to that show. What I love about it is it's, you know, fictional characters, but the background stories are all true. So you're learning about New York City, so it's really interesting. I love it. Absolutely love it.

[B]

What would somebody be surprised to learn about you who knows you a little bit?

[A]

I may have mentioned this earlier, but I'm an identical twin.

[B]

What is one piece of advice that you would leave everybody with?

[A]

Follow your passion because things will work out. Do whatever makes your heart sing. Do that. That's the bottom line. Whatever makes your heart sing, do it.

[B]

I want you to go back to that moment. You were sitting poolside in Florida after you'd had so many things go wrong, right? The housing crisis, your friend, the emergency ER visit. What would you tell yourself sitting at that pool to get you to turn things around?

[A]

You know, knowing myself so well and how stubborn I am, I, first of all, probably wouldn't listen to myself. But I would say, first, you'll be okay. That's what I would say, is, you'll be okay. That's the only thing I would think I would need to hear at that point, is, you'll be okay, and then go for it after that. But, yeah, that's the bottom line, because I don't think any words that anybody would say to me at that point, I don't think I would listen, nor would I want to listen. I don't think I could listen at that point. It was a rough time, but I would just say to myself, you'll be okay.

[B]

I don't know how we're going to duke out who loves New York more, you or me, but we'll think about that. You came to the longest table. And what was your experience of that event? Because that's really how we met, right? We met because I'm crazy enough to organize a potluck on my street with a lot of neighbors, and you're crazy enough to document it. So what was that experience like for you?

[A]

I thought it was incredible. It was a beautiful afternoon, beautiful moment of everyone, the whole community together. I loved every moment of it. Everybody was talking and smiling and eating and laughing. I thought it was a really cool moment. I mean, I think it's a brilliant idea, and I love what you're doing with it here in New York City.

[B]

Did it surprise you that it happened in New York?

[A]

No. Something. I feel like that is definitely a New York, a New York thing because.

[B]

We love our people.

[A]

We do. We do. You know, people of all different backgrounds from all over the world here in New York City, eating together. I mean, what's more New York than that?

[B]

What's better than that? Thank you so much for coming on. I really, really appreciate it.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I loved hearing your story.

[A]

Oh, thank you.