Focus on Health

In this episode I chat with Chris Lowder about identity, the culture around work and balance, his move to Asia and how that effect him mentally and physically, and his journey to return to his athleticism. Chris Lowder, Founder of Gaishan Consulting, is one of the world’s most sought-after talents in corporate and multi-venue luxury bar consulting. Chris has successfully built globally recognized beverage programs in some of the world’s most challenging markets, including China, South Korea, Singapore and New York. Chris was nominated in 2018 and 2020 for Best Global Bar Mentor at Tales of the Cocktail, and in 2020 was named one of the 100 most influential figures in the global bar industry by Drinks International. Chris speaks fluent Mandarin and Japanese, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in East Asian Studies.

In this episode of Focus On Health I chat with fellow southern ex-pat Carley Gaskin. Carley Gaskin is the owner of Hospitality 201, a sustainability focused events and consulting agency located in Chicago. With over 10 years of hospitality experience, Carley noticed a need for more sustainable practices within the hospitality industry. In 2018, she won the "World's Most Imaginative Bartender" competition with a sustainability focused initiative creating a full menu of zero-waste cocktails. Since then, she has taught numerous sustainability conferences for both hospitality professionals and the home bartender. It is her goal to show that we can all reduce our waste while still creating delicious and well balanced cocktails. Through the episode we chat about making the move from working behind the bar to starting her own business, how important having a great support system is, and cocktail competitions. 

Welcome to season 2 of Focus on Health. During the second season of the podcast I hope to host conversations that shed light on topics such as workplace culture, self identity, work/life balance, interpersonal relationships, substance abuse, and any other challenges that hospitality workers may face. 

In this episode I chat with longtime friend, butcher, and farmer Kate Kavanaugh. In our conversation with discuss what it means to live in alignment, the decision that she and her partner Josh made to move away from their primary business in search of better alignment, how she's actively worked on returning to her health, how regenerative nature can be for our health, and so much more. 

Kate Kavanaugh set out on a mission to heal land, bodies, and communities through food ten years ago. She is the owner of a small butcher shop and grocery, Western Daughters, in Denver and a new farmer on a small farmstead in upstate New York. She is on a journey to connect with nature, experiment with regenerative agriculture and livestock raising techniques, and help others reconnect with practices that bring them back to health and vitality. Kate just launched Ground Work, where she wants to help connect people directly to their food through both a farm directory and a podcast where she muses about mind, body, and soil. In her spare time, she loves to cook, hang out with her goats, and go for long walks.

In this episode of Focus On Health I chat with Brandon Thrash about doing what we love, the power we have as purchasers, sustainable farming, and how sometimes it's okay to cry. Brandon is a beverage professional in Philadelphia, PA. He has managed and bartended across the country including time in San Francisco, Chicago, Ft Lauderdale, and Philadelphia. He spent fall of 2018 and 2019 working with Maloof Wines in Oregon as the production assistant, and he is currently finishing a biological farming internship with Dan Rinke of Art + Science Cider and Wine before returning to Philadelphia as the head of beverage for Middle Child Clubhouse.

He is an advocate for using the buying power of restaurants and bars to drive positive cultural change. By advocating for more open sharing of information on sourcing and thoughtful buying, he believes that we can create a shift in agricultural practices in the United States.

In this episode of Focus On Health, I chat with fellow FOH team member and host of No Proof Podcast Joshua Gandee about his journey into sobriety, how sober living has changed his outlook on working in the F&B industry, and how important it is to see sober individuals in the bar world. Joshua Thomas Gandee is a bartender and creative working in and around the restaurant industry for over a decade. Joshua quit drinking in 2017, and began creating a non-alcoholic culture in his city and beyond through recipes, recommendations, and a penchant for any water that bubbles. Joshua believes a change in mindset, can produce a change in identity and works to be the best version of himself possible while helping to lift the spirits of those around him.

In this episode I chat with the partners of Gin & Luck, the parent company of Death & Co, Dave Kaplan, Devon Tarby, and Alex Day. Having spent the last three years working for their company, I enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss the steps they're taking to make their company a great place to work, by creating structure and safer places to work. In our conversation we discussed EOS, the operating system through with they run Gin & Luck, accountability, praise/recognition, and how structure is actually not the enemy. 

In this episode I chat with the East Coast Manager of Trade Education and Mixology for Patrón Spirits, Steph Teslar about working for a multi-national corporation, the changes that can be more easily made when you work for a larger company, and what it's been like working from home.  With over 18 years of experience in the world of bartending and restaurant/bar management, including overseeing several outlets as Bar Ambassador and Beverage Manager for Kimpton Hotels in the Southwest, Steph moved to Miami 3 years ago to take on her current role with Patrón. Steph is a fixture on the national cocktail and bartender engagement circuit, having been involved as an educator and contributor for numerous platforms at the industry’s top events. When she isn’t working you can find her listening to her vinyl collection, riding bikes, and hanging out with her dog Woody.

In this episode I chat with Toronto native now living in Amsterdam, Lauren Mote. Lauren is them Diageo Reserve and World Class Global Cocktailian, co-creator of Bittered Sling Bitters, a sommelier, writer, and spirits’ judge. She was inducted into the Dame Hall of Fame in 2016 and has been named in the top 4 Best Bar Mentors and Best International Brand Ambassador by the Spirited Awards. In our episode we chatted about mentorship, travel, relationships when you run multiple businesses with your partner, and so much more. 

You can find Lauren on Instagram at @laurenmote and at @womencelebrate. 

In this episode I chat with owner of Houston's beloved cocktail bar Julep, Alba Huerta. Alba was inducted in the Tales of the Cocktail Dame Hall of Fame in 2012, named Bartender of the Year in 2014 by Imbibe magazine and one of Houston’s 50 Most Fascinating People by the Houston Chronicle. In 2015, Food & Wine selected her as one of ten rising-star female mixologists and Thrillist named her one of the Best Bartenders in America. She was also the featured mixologist at the Southern Foodways Alliance’s 2013 Symposium and again in 2015, after which she was elected to serve as a board member. Alba has also been named one of the incomparable The Cherry Bombe 100 and released her first cocktail book named after her flagship bar ‘Julep’ in 2018.

In our episode we chat about the struggles of making time for yourself or taking time off as business owner, fear and the release of fear through the challenges of 2020, sobriety, and stepping into the spotlight. If you'd like to get to know her better, you can follow Alba on IG at @albaworksit. 

This week my guest is Mary Allison Wright. A fellow Chattanooga native, Mary and her husband McLain moved to Denver 9 years ago to pursue careers in the Food & Beverage industry. Mary has served both as Membership Director and an Advisor to the board of the Colorado Chapter of the United States Bartending Guild, is a graduate of the Beverage Alcohol Resource Program (BAR 5-DAY), and in addition to her recent roles as the Wine Director of the recently shuttered restaurant Morin and The Proper Pour bottle shop, she is the current Owner of Door Prize, Yacht Club, and a Facilitator at Jelly Bone. While each has its own identity, a common influence throughout is her commitment to genuine hospitality, sustainability, and equity within the industry and beyond. A conscious commitment to health and wellness in her daily life is what allows her to stay focused, energized, and show up for herself and her team. Morin was awarded Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wine Lists 2019 and Mary was recently named a semifinalist for The Art of Plating Rising Talent Award.

In this episode we chat about Imposter Syndrome, the importance of setting routines, finding balance and acceptance when traveling, and so much more. You can find Mary on IG at @eatdrinkbemaryandmclain, and you can reach out to her at maryallisonwrighg@gmail.com 

In this episode of Focus on Health I catch up with hospitality activist and F&B veteran about the history of tipping culture, the emotional labor of working in F&B, accountability, and so much more. 

Ashtin Berry is a hospitality activist, sommelier, mixologist and beverage consultant that creates more than cocktails: She creates change. Combining over fifteen years in the industry with a sociology degree from University of Chicago, Berry has become a top activist and educator on the frontlines of hospitality and humanity; creating safer, more inclusive spaces to have real, intersectional conversations.

In 2018, she founded Radical XChange, an experience-based agency that promotes intersectionality through event series, like the acclaimed symposium Resistance Served honoring Black hospitality workers. Berry also founded America’s Table in 2020, a movement to raise political awareness around the needs of hospitality workers after COVID-19. 

In this episode I chat with F&B industry veteran, personal trainer, and current Neuroscience student, Ray Padilla. Throughout his career he's worked in bars, restaurants, and delicatessens in both Monterey, CA and Aspen, CO. His fascination with the biochemistry associated with exercise, as well as nutrition and the different ways of organizing the body, led him to pursue a degree in neuroscience in Denver. Ray enlightened me on how truly important sleep and rest is for our working bodies, how important it is to work opposing muscles, and we bonded over our love of water. 

In this episode of Focus on Health I catch up with Alex Negranza. While he started his career as a barista in Seattle, he eventually found his way to Houston where he spent years working for and alongside Bobby Hugel. He's been named an Eater Young Gun, Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40, and Imbibe's Bartender of the Year. These days he has joined the opening team of MARCH Restaurant in Houston. In our episode he reflects on learning to be a good leader and taking care of his team while not losing the magic we create for the guest experience .

In this episode I chat with Valentino Longo, a Rome native who has bartended in Rome, London, and Miami. Now located in Miami, Valentino is the Head Bartender at the Four Seasons. He's competed in and won multiple national bartending titles, including the 2020 title of Most Imaginative Bartender. Since the competition he's launched the Shosin Art Club, an online platform bringing professional bartenders together to explore any and all bar-related topics as well as the ability to learn from world-class professionals in the spirits industry. Val and I discuss the importance of setting schedules for yourself to have better balance, how it's okay to want to be the best bartender in the world as long as you learn how to take care of yourself while working towards that goal, and how important it is to say no. 

In this episode I chat with Marcia Polas, Pilates Instructor and Myofascial specialist located in New York City. Throughout her career, Marcia has dedicated herself to helping bartenders understand that it shouldn't hurt to do their jobs. We discussed the importance of learning from trained professionals when it comes to our health and wellness, how to make simple changes to your routine in protect your body, and most importantly that IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HURT TO DO YOUR JOB. To learn more about what Marcia teaches, and to see instructional videos on constructive rest and how to properly pink-ball your ass, head to www.marciapolas.com 

In this episode I chat with Dr. Anne Brock, Master Distiller for Bombay Sapphire, the Grand Rectifier for the Gin Guild, and all around incredible woman. We chatted about the fear of failure and how that fear can drive our decision making when it comes to opportunities in life and in our careers, imposter syndrome, taking the road less traveled, and handing anxiety and depression during big life changes. 

In this episode I chat with Laura Louise Green, a veteran bartender, a spirits educator and a Licensed professional mental health counselor from Chicago, IL. Laura continues to integrate her clinical and academic experiences into her work in beverage by directing her research and professional focus towards spirits education, the mental health and wellness of F&B professionals, and the holistic health of the beverage industry. Through our chat we discussed how working in tipped positions and/or in service can have lasting effects on our mental health, how to be better & more empathetic managers, and the changes that we hope to see happen in the F&B industry.