October 13, 2020 • 33 mins
My next is guest Kevin Bludso, we go all the way back to the Hoodie Awards in Los Angeles, CA, before he opened Bludson’s Bar and Que on LaBrea in Los Angeles. Kevin is a chef, television personality and two-time Steve Harvey Hoodie Award Winner. In 2008, he opened Bludso’s BBQ, and it has since grown into an international empire, with Bludso’s Bar & Que on LaBrea, a concession stand at the LAFC Soccer Stadium, a location in Proud Bird by LAX, and a sprawling restaurant and bar called San Antone by Bludso’s BBQ in the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. The legend of Bludso's BBQ begins in Corsicana, Texas, where the Bludso family has been perfecting the craft of slow-smoked meats for five generations. But while his family roots are laid in Texas, Kevin Bludso was born and raised in Compton, California. Now he is a television star, you can catch him judging on Netflix's “The American Barbecue Showdown.” Please welcome to Money Making Conversations Kevin Bludso.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host, ra
Sean McDonald. I recognized that we all have different definitions
of success. For some is a sizeable paycheck. Mine is
helping people wake up and inspiring them to accomplish their
goals and live their very best life. These are my
passions and that's what I'm going to do for you.
That's why we do Money Making Conversations. Bring people on
my show to let them tell you their story, and
(00:23):
you take the information from their story to help you
out with your dreams. I want you to stop tripping
over small challenges and prepare to rise above the bigger
obstacles that life will present to you. My next guest
is Kevin Blood, So we go all the way back
to the Hoodie Awards in Los Angeles, California, before he
opened Blood Sows Barring Q on Lobrea, which I've been
too many times in Los Angeles. Kevin's is a chef
(00:46):
television personality and two times Steve Harvey Hoodie Award winner.
In two thousand and eight, he opened Blood Souls by
b b Q and it's since growing into an international empire.
Hear me when I say international. From Compton to International
with utsoles, ball and Q which I talked about earlier.
It is right there on Librea. Right there, man, you
got valet parking, everything, great food. Every time I go there, man,
(01:08):
it's just a beautiful, uh display of food. People in
their cross sexual people, uh concession standing at the l
A f C Soccer Stadium a location in Proud Bird
right there in l A. Been there many times. Catering
and the sprawling restaurant and ball called Sanding tone by
Blood Show BBQ in the crowd casino and Millborne him
(01:28):
and now y'all millborn Australia. That's where the International Park
comes from. The legend of Blood so BBQ begins in
course of Countera, Texas. That's right south of Dallas, Texas.
The reason I know. I'm from Houston, Texas, so I
passed through Colta towna many times. I get up to Dallas.
Come on now where the Blood Show family has been
perfecting the craft of slow smith slow smoked meats for
(01:49):
five generations. But while his family roots of Lady in Texas,
Kevin himself was born and raised in Compton, California. That's
where I met him. Now he is a television start
like I said earlier, telling he big time, tell of it,
sitting up that man got make up and anything. You
can catch him judging on Netflix The American Barbecue Showdown.
I've seen every episode. I've also seen him on the
Food Challemeler Cookie Network. I've seen him on the Bar Rescue.
(02:13):
I've seen his brother everywhere please working the money making conversations.
I want to call him a dear friend and a
guy I feel so blessed to talk to right now
on my show today, my man Kevin Blood too. How
you doing, sir, man, I am good. After that introduction,
I interview over, I'm good. I've been smiling. Well. I
had to because I see you post a let on
(02:35):
the on the on social media. You're gonna be talking
to the legend on Thursday. I saw that this fine.
Let me let me, let me make it perfectly clear.
I would not be doing probably none of this extra
stuff if it wasn't for winning that first Hoodie award. Man,
I would never forget that. I remember talking to you backstage.
It was so cool and it was like I always
(02:57):
knew you and Steve too, but with me and you,
how backstage and man, you came and gave me the hug.
I was like, damn, have I met him? Be false
by just say, man, and I have light. And I
mean you told me something that night. And I don't
know if you remember, but you said you're gonna be
all right. I always look out for your folks. You
remember you told me that. Absolutely absolutely believe that, man,
(03:19):
you know. And I just want to say, man, I
appreciate you. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me. Man.
And I really really missed the Hoodie Awards. I really
do because Win I los. It was so much fun. Man,
how y'all take normal folks from the neighborhood and made
us feel incredible every time for those three and Podas Man,
(03:40):
I just always wanted to thank you guys. Man. It
was an incredible time. It was an incredible ride. And
even because I think I went to like sixth Straighter
absolutely remember we had those little those little meeting greets
and all that stuff. Remember, yeah, man, the little the
great room in there, because don't forget Jevin Won't the
red carpet, that the red carpet And to get my
(04:04):
first one for what was Sally Richard and uh Bernie
Mack and I'm not Bernie mac up George Waller clowning
for thirty minutes and and my pants falling down and
everything and memories. Man, I chairs the sound real though,
you know. So I have the video of of your
winning I don't know if you have that. I'm gonna
(04:25):
send it to you. Please don't show that, man, Please
send it to you. I got them all. I got
that time history of the hoodia wants slash neighborhood of
on I got it. But but you know something giving
It's the thing about it is that that's what it
was all about. It's always been about the people. It's
always recognizing the regular people because you know, we get
so we get become like unknown, we can when we
(04:46):
get burdened, like we're not even delivering a contributing And
that's why I was telling you about to take care
of you people, because what we didn't know, you know,
Steve Harvey now didn't know at the time, was that well,
you know, I started this in Houston, Texas in nineties seven,
just says I was a sidekick on the radio show.
And then what happened when Steve came we got the
radio gig in l A. He said, rich Sean, then
(05:06):
you should do that Hoodie Award thing. I think I
could be big. You know, I would never as a
as an individual, I could never just go to the
radio stations. But Steve was big enough to say, let's
do this, let's do that. I gotta give credit with
credits due, and they wouldn't know. And they sold it,
and we sold the idea. We went to Vegas several
times with the Forum several times, and then we went
(05:27):
back to Vegas. And so it was when you when
you talk about it, you know, because what I didn't
see common was how it affected the business. How enabled
you to talk about how the Hoodie Awards affected you
guys with all that promotion, Steve Holland and out on them.
Here's the nominees, here's the nominees. Here's the top four,
here's the top four. Talk about that, I mean, the
(05:49):
pride that is, I mean, uh, it's like people still
to this day just talking about when it was time
to vote, the first vote and the second vote, and
and and how genius as well us the way y'all
put that together that had the first vote in the
second vote, but just the pride of bringing people together
and people just want to be part of that. And
then when you win and and bringing home, man, it's
(06:11):
like in the neighborhood. It's like you know, winning the
National Championship. You know, everybody want to come, and so
many people would wait to hear if you want. I
mean people. I mean we had customers cry when we lost,
you know what I mean. And uh, it's that I
mean because like I said, you don't have that much.
Like I said, you you don't have that many shows
(06:32):
that do that. Especially, I mean, we barely got enough
of for real celebrities that they give props to to have,
you know, the normal hard work and people trying to
run their businesses and all that doing their thing to
get an award, and and and and like I said,
getting the award from Sally Sally Richards and and and
George Wallace and and the people I met backstage and
just the whole thing. Man, It's incredible, man, I mean,
(06:54):
it was a it was a real beautiful time, man.
And it's just the pride that it brings. And then
the customers that you get. You notice everything that I do,
every show that I say that I do, they say
about winning the Hoodie Award, No matter what they always
said in Canada, Australia and whatever. Like the lady told
the body said, you know, all over always be a
(07:17):
problem man, because like I said, that was just a
really exciting time, man, was it was real fun, you know,
and and and I thank you, you know, because of
the fact that the whole idea, man, was to celebrate
the real stars of the community. That was the basis
of the Video Awards and the Neighborhood Awards because of
the fact that and my whole thought was that, Okay,
instead of have the celebrities being recognized for un let's
(07:40):
use the celebrities. It's almost like props to get people there,
because you know, if we said that we were just
gonna be doing best Bibecue, best high School, would nobody
show up? But you got Steve irvinghol you got the
salary just just Sali Richardson's on stage, you got the
George Wallace so stage, you got Stop Dog Ice Q
showed up one year, Matt Jason showed up. When you
(08:01):
could all these people people going whoa, whoa, what's going
on here? What's going on here? And this allows us
to be back like like in the Green, like before
the Wars and in the green room with him, you know,
having cocktails, but just like and everybody interacting. Man, it
was incredible. And like I said to even the walker
to the not just the red carpet, when we walked
(08:23):
through the casino or whatever, going inside getting ready to
call in and walking inside that arena. Man, that was like.
That was that was That was That was major. That
was that was major because I you know, the thing
about it I would not share. No, that was people
come in and go, man, this is produced better than
the image. Dude, this is better than because I because
I had to do that. The worst thing in the world, man,
(08:45):
is for us as black people, you know, to say
you're gonna do something good for us and didn't do
it half. I didn't do it slopping, And that's what
that was my greatest love, man, because to see the
look on y'all faces because y'all didn't believe it. Okay,
this will always chipped me out. Was those acceptance species.
I wasn't ready for that, Kevin. So I wasn't ready
for because I I told Steve, I was look, man,
(09:06):
I got the fact we're gonna nominate them. I got
the fact we're gonna vote vote. I said, I don't
know what they're gonna say when they get up there. Man.
Y'all got up there, man, and it was like if
they brought me to tears many times, man, because I
didn't realize the impact of a community award. That's what
it was. It was a community award and how it
(09:26):
affected And you know, when I because I always like,
you know, because I was a regular guy. Steve was
still the start, you know, way back there. But I
could go to a restaurant and I went by your
place one time back in the hood. And then when
and then and then I found out my girl Candy,
who should do my backstage celebrity streaming? She said, She said,
Sean Sean Kevin is on Librey, I said, she see
(09:50):
he got a spot on Libra. I didn't even know, Kevin.
I didn't even know you had that. Candy so cool
after my baking sister. Now, man that she is so cool,
always so professional, oh man, and just and incredible, you know.
I mean, your whole staff was just like you know, man,
I mean, and I mean when you guys came out
and did the video of me, uh, and I was
(10:12):
still in COMPLI, man, and I don't even know what
and you know, Candy don't give no information. You know,
I used to find my best to see that. Boy,
you think I'm gonna losing my job over you know
like that. So she said about the video when y'all
did the video, she said, well, well, I don't want
to say she lied, but she lies, like, oh, we
do this with all the contestant with people just don't
(10:33):
get on the video and at the luncheon, and then
I was on the luncheon. I don't even know untill
I got did you know. I mean, everything y'all did
was it was just it was it was for even
like the waiting like like like in that first time.
I mean, I'm I'm nervous. I'm sweating like a brother
of clan the white woman. You know what I'm saying.
I'm sweating that nervous. But I said, man, I ain't
(10:55):
been this nervous since football days. And it was just
uh and and I'm not even too much on it. Man.
It was other contestants that I met, and then the
friendships the people that I met from other businesses that
we are still good friends to this day. Man. That's
what that's what it's all about. Man. I mean, I
hear like the morning show sometimes and I get nervous
because I remember during the time when it's voting time,
(11:17):
because you know, we have Coast got us about a
few hours and they don't already started. I remember that
one year, it was six forty five, they was about
to go off the air and uh and it was
this krapt Tommy said he was doing the top three
or whatever, the top four, and we was number three
already in time. But Steve said, now that's a Now
that don't make no sense. Bless those number three and
(11:39):
number brothers in l A. That's right, So listen, let
me explain everybody. See what happened was from two thousand
one to two thousand five l A, who was LA
based radio station. Steve three and and Kevin and all
everybody was in the other l A show. In two
thousand and five, were left and went to New York
based in New York for two years. So for one
(11:59):
year with a year off two thousand and six, we
didn't even do it. We didn't even do it. But
we're trying to figure out what we had to do
with our own career. We were struggling and trying to
come up after that run, and then two thousand seven
we brought it back and so we're freaking me and
Steve I was like, okay, they in l A. And
so you know, you guys, and like you said, y'all
were three hours difference and y'all were voting. Y'all were
(12:21):
seriously voting Kevin. Yeah, we had him. Uh, we had everybody,
every old college people, everywhere, everybody we knew all over
the United States. We had them going. Man. But like
I said, and you'd be surprised. I mean, people still
come and tell me how much they missed that. And
I missed those weeks of the Hoodie Awards and so
many people. When you win, it would go and I
(12:44):
remember being, you know, like I said, it's starting in
l A. And you did. But I remember being and
I remember, you know a couple of times, but those
was the only one in I mean one time we
were the one my first year we wanted and crash
shall High wanted. And after that it got so people
don't know how hard you know, Yeah, it was like
(13:06):
you know, because you're absolutely right, because two thousand and seven,
two thousand and eight, That's when you know it became
really national because we started out syndicating to all these
walking with New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, you know, Charlotte, Miami,
all these different market dollars and so it wasn't just
l A anymore. That's why I Steer trip that you
(13:28):
guys were able to win before it really explode. And
when it really explode, it was like, Wow, this is
something that was just a just a cool idea that's
become worldwide. But that but that kind of like prepared
you for what you're doing now as as as a
as they said international brand talk about the stuff we
were talking about. Thing is we're talked about coming out
(13:49):
of Comptom. You know, open up your shop. You got
this beautiful restaurant. I'm gonna just tell you about the food. Okay,
and uh blood so ball and cute ball and que
that's on Labria. I swear to you guys every time
I go to l A. You know, the COVID has
kept me out, but I would go there and you know,
I'm telling I'm gonna typing by Candy. Candy Candy she
(14:10):
goes by Kendy Marina because I represent her as an
actress and and uh talk and producer. She took me
that the first time, she said, and she said, Kevin
said he got you on this Rashan. I said, you know,
I don't like that. I don't like that, and said
I don't like and so and so. So. You know,
every time I go in there, I don't even tell nobody.
I don't go. I've taken the Air Force in there.
(14:31):
Air Force in there because I had a big contract
the Air Force, and then I was doing a base
like two hours away and uh and in the month
of March, two hours away. And I told him, I said,
I want you all to go to l A and
Or and get and pick up this barbecue run. They said, Rushan, really,
I said, yes, blood so or Libreya. I said, the
(14:52):
Colin Green's gonna kill you then gonna mess you up. Now,
I said, Colline Green's gonna mess you up. And they
said when they two hours down to our us back,
was nobody disappointed. He went, Wow, let's see why you
would appreciate. That's how powerful I believe in your brand.
That's how good your brain is. Tell everybody about the
menu that you have, the type of food that you
(15:13):
serve on your menu, Kevin. Uh, Like I always say
that we do it right, low and slow, like a
sixth vote. You know what I'm saying. Take our time
to brisket is fifteen hours, the ribs is four to
five hours. You know, we we you know, I'm a
firm believer it's Nat broke. Don't don't fix it. You know.
I still do it the way Willie May feels you
should do it. When I was coming up spend my
summers and of course in Canada, you know, she would
(15:35):
take her time and do it right, you know. And
I just try to I just try to keep that
going at every spot that we got, you know. Um
and like I said, just knowing incredible people like you
and and and and it's so funny you bring up
because I had a discussion about that with a younger
guy who just opened up a spot, and he was saying,
you know, say, you know, uh, sometimes celebrities come in
(15:57):
and and uh this and that, this and that. Let
me just tell you one thing, I don't care who
they are, whatever whatever you give them that option, because
celebrities are different. Some of them are just like you,
who like I want to pay. Some of them don't
you know, but you being you need you need them
more than they need you. And like on any field,
(16:19):
you've got cool people and you've got uh, you know,
people who're tripping or whatever whatever, But that's on you
to understand that. But a celebrity coming in there, it's
gonna look out for your business. But you have to respect.
Just like they respect your work as a chef and
they come to your spot, you have to respect they work.
Like these people don't want to deal with people sometimes,
(16:40):
but they take the time to come come to you
and come to your spot. And sometimes us as business
owners have to really quick speaking on people's pocket books
and all that one tweet or some of the like
when you talk about free advertisement or some of the
stuff that you do. I can never pay for that
because I posted time, I posted a couple of last
(17:01):
month and I hadn't even been there, and I act
like I was there. Yeah, and That's what I'm saying.
But I can't. And I respect that, and I love
that so much. And I try to tell younger brothers
and sisters who opened up get that mentality. They the time,
they're gonna pay, but make sure you give them the
respect that they deserve, you know. I mean, we got
all huge celebrities coming there and do the same thing
(17:24):
with all of them, all of them. You know, I'm
not gonna drop no names, but I'm come about who's
you know, some of the best artists we ever had too,
from the Titanic and everything come in that spot and
they all look out. But you better give them, you know,
take care of the man because these people are gonna
do unique that. Who wasn't for that and the Hoodie
Awards and getting to know that. I mean, there was
(17:45):
so many celebrities that come to the Hoodie Awards that
came to the restaurant afterward. I gotta come see what
this is about. Absolutely absolutely, and that's that's called community.
But the thing about it, let me just tell you
some real talk here. Every time I've been I've been
there over a dozen times. Okay, I brought people with me.
I went in there by myself and just got the
vegetable spread. Because when you get the vegetable spread in
(18:06):
the met it's just too much. And I'm always traveling
and I don't really I'm in a hotel, so I
can't do it to go okay, and so so sometimes
I come in there, give me some corn bread, and
then I give me the the you know, some colar
greens and beans and and so I just break it
up like that. Or sometimes you're coming and get me
a sandwich and so. But every time I go in there,
the service is always on point. Kevin. The meal looks
(18:29):
exactly the same of quality separation. I mean picture, I
take pictures of your food and then people do. People go, Okay,
it looks like that. I said all the time, all
the time. I remember when I brought the National Guarden there.
You know, we was we were standing way in Long
Beach for for conference. I said, they said, it's where
(18:50):
we gonna eat. I said, we're going to uh blood
show bar and Q it's where l A he said.
All way on that. I said, yes, We're gonna go
over there. Went up in there. Man, they went wow
after because because the beauty about the beaut the thing
about coming to this place, like when you get your meal,
you get that double meat, triple mea the order. Because
I'm a tind of guy, man, people, I was saying, man,
(19:12):
you're small, you know all that food. Hey, stay off
my plate, Stay off my plate. Stay we need to
click that up. And so what happens when you have
a boy, five people at the table, okay, and all
that food come to the table. You get attention man,
because it looks so beautiful because every one of the
(19:33):
plates is look immaculate as far as as we want
to say, you work is immaculate. Everything. There's nothing running
off the sides, nothing too small, The portions are good.
That's why I just love what I what I eat.
That's why when I kind of sneak in because Channing,
I'm gonna tell Kevin, you know, you ain't one problem
problem because it's about a respect. That's why I started
(19:54):
the Hoodie Awards, man, because it's about showing love. Man.
The fact that you guys, you still believe in it
just excites me even more. Man. And and and the
fact that the fact that you you're doing so well
and you your TV so talk about how did the
television stuff start for you? And how would you how
would you were you nerv it? Did you know? What?
Did you? Did you play it off? How did it
(20:14):
all kick off for you? Kevin? H what my first one?
And it's so funny, my niece, because I'm I'm just like, shoot,
this is maybe two thousand ten, Kevin, I'm uh, I'm
still knee deep in the competent location. So uh uh,
this producer called and said, hey, we really want to
get you know, Kevin busy. He happened to be at
(20:36):
the restaurant. I didn't know who he was, you know,
in the restaurant, in the kitchen, we clowned in the back.
We clowned and cracked jokes and bag. The dude heard
me back there clowning. So I've never even seen it.
Didn't know who he was. And uh, he kept calling,
and he kept always he got my niece itself on him.
He always calls and she's like, um, this guy wants
you for for a TV show, And I was like
one TV show, Bar Rescue and I never heard of it,
(20:58):
you know, never heard of the show. And that just
and that he kept calling, and then one day she said, look,
this dude need a video. We're gonna go to your
house and do this video. So we we went to
the house and started the video of just you know,
me interviewing or whatever whatever. But before the thing was
even set up, it's me cussing her out and like, God,
I ain't got my t I don't know she's my
name who he's throwing souls and this man. So when
(21:18):
she sent it, she said the whole thing and John
Tafford's seen it anything. Now I gotta have this dude.
I gotta have the bam bam bam. Uh and I
got in a funny story. I'm gonna keep the shore.
But for my first episode was in uh Kansas City. Uh.
I think it was called Boondocks or whatever. The show
never was supposed to air because so we saved this boy.
(21:41):
I'm thinking this dude is. That's when I learned to
between like, oh, southern racist are Southern rocker? This dude
was a Southern rocket. We we actually are good friends
now and you know Southern rocket they like rapp and
country and on. Thinking he was a racist. But anyway,
we get into it on the show, I'm like, you know,
I'm gonna put hands on this food and on the
show and U but he didn't have no reverse. He
(22:03):
didn't have no reverse, so he wasn't no pump. You
know what I mean with it. I'm gonna get I'm
gonna get you, You're gonna get. But anyway, so it's
so crazy. So it takes about a couple of months
with him to do it. So the night before the
show was supposed to hear, which was Thanksgiving weekend that year,
I can't think of in that the exact year, he
was having a party at his bar and got a
guy was smoking, a big time country singer at his bar,
(22:24):
and they got into it, had a fight to do,
kind of got the best and Chris Chris shot and
killed the night before the show was supposed to hear,
so they had to pull up the show. But the
show accidentally aired on the replay later on that night.
And it's a big old thing and all that, but
I'm saying, I'm getting into this food. This food go
to He could have went to the back and out
of gun on me, you know. But that was my
(22:48):
first episode, my first job. And then John Tapper is
like huge in my life, like you guys or I mean,
this dude is as far as business and bars and
the things that he old and like I said, the
team episodes later. Man, he keeps me busy. In fact,
he called me the other day to congratulate me because
the Netflix show is doing so good. Number one after
(23:10):
last week is the number one unscripted show on Netflix.
And it's doing well. Man. First of all, First of all,
that we're talking about the American Barbecue Showdown, Okay, and
they got some characters on there. And your girl from Mississippi,
she's the real deal. Who the whole hall? Did you
know it before the show? Are just I knew ever?
(23:30):
If I knew ever, that was our first time meeting.
And uh, she's incredible. I mean she's a legend. She's
a legend. And uh, and you'd be surprised some of
those cooks to be first time. I mean, they did
such a good job of getting that cast together. I
mean we're hoping for a season two, but you've got
some of the producers might not even want to do
a season two because he said some things just need
to be left untouching. To get that the cast of
(23:53):
of the pit masses that they had and the attitudes
and the personalities, it's hard to you know what I'm
and it's hard to strike gold twice, you know, And well,
you know you're part of well you know you I
know you'll be back because it's part of your brain,
it's part of you. It's just part of what you do.
That that like, you know, when I put the press
relead that belaves out. You know they say, I said
(24:14):
with Kevin's name first, Kevin blood So's name first on
the press release. That press release was reached a hundred
million people. Wow. That press release picked up when you
start talking to my audience, picked up by different websites
and they started putting that numbing together a hundred million people.
And that's what relationships do, Kevin. And that's what you're
talking about this whole conversation is that you respect the process,
(24:37):
you understand the process. Just drop just drop some jewels
on people about the value of relationships, Kevin. I mean,
it's like I said when you when you say look,
I look out. I would not be here if it
wasn't for people looking out for me. And you know
what I'm saying, I always say, uh Russia's uh, I
don't give to be blessed. I'm blessed so I give
(24:58):
you know. It's not no secret. restI you to this.
You know it has to come from your heart. Like
I try to tell people, love to talk about all
the funerals and stuff we paid for um, you know,
with blood cells. Okay, let's also talk about the scholarships
and how many kids we put through college too. It's
more of the good things that outweighed the bad things.
(25:20):
And God has put me in position to help like that.
And that's what I'm saying. And and it it it
comes that, That's what it's. It's like, it's so weird,
it's just and I try to tell people it has
to come from your heart and it's natural. The blessing
is gonna keep ringing in if you do what you're
supposed to do. And how was you raised? You was
raised to give you know, spencing us as black folks.
(25:40):
I mean, you know coming up what we had, all
we had was food and and love and hugs and
all that. And like we gotta we gotta go back
to that. Man, we gotta, we gotta go back to that.
And you gotta want to put the work in. It's
hard work. Like people want to get a business. I know,
you know, a business is gonna be the hardest job
you ever had in your life. And if you don't
have that, it that's why everybody can't do it. A
(26:01):
business is gonna be the hardest job in your I mean,
I said, adding, I want to be like you. I
want to you know, be able to live in Texas,
and this and that, this and that. I said, Okay,
were you ready to go eight years without off day?
You know what I mean, I'm gonna I'm gonna post
that all the motivational car Kevin, don't put that on
my way. Are you ready to give eight years without
(26:23):
off day? Well, let me tell you. When I first
opened up Blood Shocks, I was still d Jane, so
I would have I would. I would get to blood
shows at uh four o'clock on a Saturday morning and
uh be there until seven o'clock at night, go home,
(26:44):
take a shower, pack my gig up, and go do
a DJ gig, get back about two three in the morning,
take a shower, and go up to blood shows to
take briskets off and get ready for the day. Twenty
four hours straight. And that went on for the first
almost year and a half for my business because I
was at one time I was just DJ and and catering,
so I was booked, you know. But I had to
(27:07):
do what I had to do. I mean, my daughter
wrote wanted to wish I had it, and she said,
my daddy, if you knew the work, my daddy, it
was called my Daddy's not overnight success. My daddy would
come in at three four in the morning. I would
just hope my father got at least one hour of sleep,
and I know he didn't. My Daddy's not an overnight success.
And they got to know everybody's path. It's not gonna
be that way, you know, but it's tough, specially when
you and I would and I know you know, when
(27:29):
you know, money making conversations. I would tell anybody if
you can, please have the money and the backing to start,
because when you start on a shoestring budget, that's why
a lot of them don't make it, because you need that.
And us as a community, that's why we need our
own banks and we need because we can't these younger
they can't get the loans. You know. They want you
to to be experienced to get a small business man loan,
(27:50):
but you you need the small business man only get going,
you know, and they and they and they have to
understand that. Then as you grow, get get you know,
get with a good team. I have a good team
behind me. There's no way I could do what I'm
doing if I didn't have the team that uh I
have working you know with with you know, the blood
shows LLC, the people that we have, the things that
(28:12):
have been done, the doors that have opened, to get
tied straight, to get on the bread, to get in
those conversations that we need to be in so we
can have a voice, you know. And that's the whole thing.
You have to have a good team, man, and then
you got to trust the team. You might be the quarterback,
but you need some good running backs, coaches you know
(28:32):
on the side last year, and your own cheer leaders
all that stuff, man, And more importantly, you need fans
in the stands. That's called customers. People, and how you
keep them by putting out a good product. Absolutely, Kevin,
I just want to thank you, man, and uh look,
don't hang up, come and wrap up this show. I
want to get the number and so we can stay
in touch. But uh, I just love you, man, I
(28:56):
just love you, man. Man, I got so much love
and respect for you. Bro. It's it's you know, because
of the fact that I know where you came from.
I know I know, and I know that what I've
been doing all my life and two people, I've been
doing this since all the eighteen years old. For some reason,
God just just said this is what you do. You
uplift people. You know you don't when somebody's behind you,
(29:17):
you don't run off and leave them. You extend their
own or our hand. And that's what the Neighborhood Awards
and that's what the Hoodie Awards was. And to see
you have such a reaction in it, and there's a
lot of people like that. Man, I'll be in d C.
People to Sean, come on that you ain't gonna bring
it back. Come on that shop. I'm talking about barber shops.
I'm talking about high school churches, Detroit, Atlanta, all over
(29:41):
this country. Stop me for real, man, for real? I said, look,
thinking about it. Well, we're thinking about it, man, I
got something else gonna They're gonna jump off. But we're
talking about the brother because I understand exactly what's going off,
what's going on in life, and I know it's need,
especially doing these times or the pandemic and black unrest,
because you know, some of they messed up with this
(30:01):
pregnanlated to date had their knee on her, the police
and that it's not gonna stop, man. And we gotta
go out there and vote. We got to register the vote,
and I'm voting in person, my friend, I am voting
in the person. I'm not messing around with no mail
in ballot. I'm not messing around with that. I wanted
somebody to go, here's your card. Sure you've officially voted,
because I want to people understand that that if you
(30:22):
want something to life, no matter what it is, a business,
you want to graduate, you want to be in a
relationship for a long time, it's hard work. It's hard work,
and voting it's hard if you got stand in that line,
if it's raining, if it's storming, standing that line, because
if you don't make a change, it's gonna be uh
four more years of a life that would never be good,
(30:42):
especially people who aren't making it. And I'm just talking
about you know, we we we've crossed a little line there, Kevin.
We can survive the ignorance. I'm not but say again,
if I'm making it and my people ain't making it,
then I'm not making its use. That's that's that's a burden,
you know. And I always tall you too, And I
know we wrapped, but it wasn't that long ago when
(31:02):
we talked about standing the lines. I meant my son
was at a play football at Utah and he called
me one day and he was just upset and he
was like that he was one at sixty five. I said, yeah, Mark.
He said the Voters Act was made uh June or whatever.
Since if I said yeah, whatever it was. He said,
so when you was born, black people couldn't vote. I
said no. So he said my granting them couldn't vote.
(31:23):
I said no. And if if it hit home with him,
like he knows people, he couldn't believe that he knew
black people that couldn't vote at the time. And if
people don't think certain things can happen again. Like I
tell people all the time, I'm not a conspiracy theorist,
theory of theorists or whatever. I said. But when they came,
when got their brothers from Africa for slavery, I said,
(31:45):
they were living normal life, normal life. I said, please
look at the big picture on everything. Please look at
people trying to line up with with Russia and things
like that. Just always look at the big picture, man,
and get out there and vote. And it's just this.
I never thought we would be to this time again,
and we are. And if this don't bring us all together,
(32:06):
and like I said, you can't say certain things aren't
different because I mean, I was in l A for
the ninety two rides. You know what I need to
brothers and Hispanics out there. But now look at who's
out there now. It's white, black, Hispanic together. And like
I said, maybe not in our lifetime, but I feel
like once you have kids, ain't about maybe in a
lifetime and a lifetime after that, racism might not exist
(32:29):
no more. You know what I mean? And and and
that's what I try to work towards. Man. But we
gotta do it. You know, Yes, Kevin, I would appreciate
you coming on money making conversations with a two times,
I said, two times Steve Harvey Hoody Award winner from
Los Angeles, California, a k A Compton, California, a k
of course, a kind of Texas, just south of Dallas.
(32:51):
Who don't know I forty five? See he know, I
know he knows graduating class, official college. Oh don't about
my sister went to school Bishop College. I know what
you're talking about, man, beep rock. That
Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host, ra
Sean McDonald. I recognized that we all have different definitions
of success. For some is a sizeable paycheck. Mine is
helping people wake up and inspiring them to accomplish their
goals and live their very best life. These are my
passions and that's what I'm going to do for you.
That's why we do Money Making Conversations. Bring people on
my show to let them tell you their story, and
(00:23):
you take the information from their story to help you
out with your dreams. I want you to stop tripping
over small challenges and prepare to rise above the bigger
obstacles that life will present to you. My next guest
is Kevin Blood, So we go all the way back
to the Hoodie Awards in Los Angeles, California, before he
opened Blood Sows Barring Q on Lobrea, which I've been
too many times in Los Angeles. Kevin's is a chef
(00:46):
television personality and two times Steve Harvey Hoodie Award winner.
In two thousand and eight, he opened Blood Souls by
b b Q and it's since growing into an international empire.
Hear me when I say international. From Compton to International
with utsoles, ball and Q which I talked about earlier.
It is right there on Librea. Right there, man, you
got valet parking, everything, great food. Every time I go there, man,
(01:08):
it's just a beautiful, uh display of food. People in
their cross sexual people, uh concession standing at the l
A f C Soccer Stadium a location in Proud Bird
right there in l A. Been there many times. Catering
and the sprawling restaurant and ball called Sanding tone by
Blood Show BBQ in the crowd casino and Millborne him
(01:28):
and now y'all millborn Australia. That's where the International Park
comes from. The legend of Blood so BBQ begins in
course of Countera, Texas. That's right south of Dallas, Texas.
The reason I know. I'm from Houston, Texas, so I
passed through Colta towna many times. I get up to Dallas.
Come on now where the Blood Show family has been
perfecting the craft of slow smith slow smoked meats for
(01:49):
five generations. But while his family roots of Lady in Texas,
Kevin himself was born and raised in Compton, California. That's
where I met him. Now he is a television start
like I said earlier, telling he big time, tell of it,
sitting up that man got make up and anything. You
can catch him judging on Netflix The American Barbecue Showdown.
I've seen every episode. I've also seen him on the
Food Challemeler Cookie Network. I've seen him on the Bar Rescue.
(02:13):
I've seen his brother everywhere please working the money making conversations.
I want to call him a dear friend and a
guy I feel so blessed to talk to right now
on my show today, my man Kevin Blood too. How
you doing, sir, man, I am good. After that introduction,
I interview over, I'm good. I've been smiling. Well. I
had to because I see you post a let on
(02:35):
the on the on social media. You're gonna be talking
to the legend on Thursday. I saw that this fine.
Let me let me, let me make it perfectly clear.
I would not be doing probably none of this extra
stuff if it wasn't for winning that first Hoodie award. Man,
I would never forget that. I remember talking to you backstage.
It was so cool and it was like I always
(02:57):
knew you and Steve too, but with me and you,
how backstage and man, you came and gave me the hug.
I was like, damn, have I met him? Be false
by just say, man, and I have light. And I
mean you told me something that night. And I don't
know if you remember, but you said you're gonna be
all right. I always look out for your folks. You
remember you told me that. Absolutely absolutely believe that, man,
(03:19):
you know. And I just want to say, man, I
appreciate you. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me. Man.
And I really really missed the Hoodie Awards. I really
do because Win I los. It was so much fun. Man,
how y'all take normal folks from the neighborhood and made
us feel incredible every time for those three and Podas Man,
(03:40):
I just always wanted to thank you guys. Man. It
was an incredible time. It was an incredible ride. And
even because I think I went to like sixth Straighter
absolutely remember we had those little those little meeting greets
and all that stuff. Remember, yeah, man, the little the
great room in there, because don't forget Jevin Won't the
red carpet, that the red carpet And to get my
(04:04):
first one for what was Sally Richard and uh Bernie
Mack and I'm not Bernie mac up George Waller clowning
for thirty minutes and and my pants falling down and
everything and memories. Man, I chairs the sound real though,
you know. So I have the video of of your
winning I don't know if you have that. I'm gonna
(04:25):
send it to you. Please don't show that, man, Please
send it to you. I got them all. I got
that time history of the hoodia wants slash neighborhood of
on I got it. But but you know something giving
It's the thing about it is that that's what it
was all about. It's always been about the people. It's
always recognizing the regular people because you know, we get
so we get become like unknown, we can when we
(04:46):
get burdened, like we're not even delivering a contributing And
that's why I was telling you about to take care
of you people, because what we didn't know, you know,
Steve Harvey now didn't know at the time, was that well,
you know, I started this in Houston, Texas in nineties seven,
just says I was a sidekick on the radio show.
And then what happened when Steve came we got the
radio gig in l A. He said, rich Sean, then
(05:06):
you should do that Hoodie Award thing. I think I
could be big. You know, I would never as a
as an individual, I could never just go to the
radio stations. But Steve was big enough to say, let's
do this, let's do that. I gotta give credit with
credits due, and they wouldn't know. And they sold it,
and we sold the idea. We went to Vegas several
times with the Forum several times, and then we went
(05:27):
back to Vegas. And so it was when you when
you talk about it, you know, because what I didn't
see common was how it affected the business. How enabled
you to talk about how the Hoodie Awards affected you
guys with all that promotion, Steve Holland and out on them.
Here's the nominees, here's the nominees. Here's the top four,
here's the top four. Talk about that, I mean, the
(05:49):
pride that is, I mean, uh, it's like people still
to this day just talking about when it was time
to vote, the first vote and the second vote, and
and and how genius as well us the way y'all
put that together that had the first vote in the
second vote, but just the pride of bringing people together
and people just want to be part of that. And
then when you win and and bringing home, man, it's
(06:11):
like in the neighborhood. It's like you know, winning the
National Championship. You know, everybody want to come, and so
many people would wait to hear if you want. I
mean people. I mean we had customers cry when we lost,
you know what I mean. And uh, it's that I
mean because like I said, you don't have that much.
Like I said, you you don't have that many shows
(06:32):
that do that. Especially, I mean, we barely got enough
of for real celebrities that they give props to to have,
you know, the normal hard work and people trying to
run their businesses and all that doing their thing to
get an award, and and and and like I said,
getting the award from Sally Sally Richards and and and
George Wallace and and the people I met backstage and
just the whole thing. Man, It's incredible, man, I mean,
(06:54):
it was a it was a real beautiful time, man.
And it's just the pride that it brings. And then
the customers that you get. You notice everything that I do,
every show that I say that I do, they say
about winning the Hoodie Award, No matter what they always
said in Canada, Australia and whatever. Like the lady told
the body said, you know, all over always be a
(07:17):
problem man, because like I said, that was just a
really exciting time, man, was it was real fun, you know,
and and and I thank you, you know, because of
the fact that the whole idea, man, was to celebrate
the real stars of the community. That was the basis
of the Video Awards and the Neighborhood Awards because of
the fact that and my whole thought was that, Okay,
instead of have the celebrities being recognized for un let's
(07:40):
use the celebrities. It's almost like props to get people there,
because you know, if we said that we were just
gonna be doing best Bibecue, best high School, would nobody
show up? But you got Steve irvinghol you got the
salary just just Sali Richardson's on stage, you got the
George Wallace so stage, you got Stop Dog Ice Q
showed up one year, Matt Jason showed up. When you
(08:01):
could all these people people going whoa, whoa, what's going
on here? What's going on here? And this allows us
to be back like like in the Green, like before
the Wars and in the green room with him, you know,
having cocktails, but just like and everybody interacting. Man, it
was incredible. And like I said to even the walker
to the not just the red carpet, when we walked
(08:23):
through the casino or whatever, going inside getting ready to
call in and walking inside that arena. Man, that was like.
That was that was That was That was major. That
was that was major because I you know, the thing
about it I would not share. No, that was people
come in and go, man, this is produced better than
the image. Dude, this is better than because I because
I had to do that. The worst thing in the world, man,
(08:45):
is for us as black people, you know, to say
you're gonna do something good for us and didn't do
it half. I didn't do it slopping, And that's what
that was my greatest love, man, because to see the
look on y'all faces because y'all didn't believe it. Okay,
this will always chipped me out. Was those acceptance species.
I wasn't ready for that, Kevin. So I wasn't ready
for because I I told Steve, I was look, man,
(09:06):
I got the fact we're gonna nominate them. I got
the fact we're gonna vote vote. I said, I don't
know what they're gonna say when they get up there. Man.
Y'all got up there, man, and it was like if
they brought me to tears many times, man, because I
didn't realize the impact of a community award. That's what
it was. It was a community award and how it
(09:26):
affected And you know, when I because I always like,
you know, because I was a regular guy. Steve was
still the start, you know, way back there. But I
could go to a restaurant and I went by your
place one time back in the hood. And then when
and then and then I found out my girl Candy,
who should do my backstage celebrity streaming? She said, She said,
Sean Sean Kevin is on Librey, I said, she see
(09:50):
he got a spot on Libra. I didn't even know, Kevin.
I didn't even know you had that. Candy so cool
after my baking sister. Now, man that she is so cool,
always so professional, oh man, and just and incredible, you know.
I mean, your whole staff was just like you know, man,
I mean, and I mean when you guys came out
and did the video of me, uh, and I was
(10:12):
still in COMPLI, man, and I don't even know what
and you know, Candy don't give no information. You know,
I used to find my best to see that. Boy,
you think I'm gonna losing my job over you know
like that. So she said about the video when y'all
did the video, she said, well, well, I don't want
to say she lied, but she lies, like, oh, we
do this with all the contestant with people just don't
(10:33):
get on the video and at the luncheon, and then
I was on the luncheon. I don't even know untill
I got did you know. I mean, everything y'all did
was it was just it was it was for even
like the waiting like like like in that first time.
I mean, I'm I'm nervous. I'm sweating like a brother
of clan the white woman. You know what I'm saying.
I'm sweating that nervous. But I said, man, I ain't
(10:55):
been this nervous since football days. And it was just
uh and and I'm not even too much on it. Man.
It was other contestants that I met, and then the
friendships the people that I met from other businesses that
we are still good friends to this day. Man. That's
what that's what it's all about. Man. I mean, I
hear like the morning show sometimes and I get nervous
because I remember during the time when it's voting time,
(11:17):
because you know, we have Coast got us about a
few hours and they don't already started. I remember that
one year, it was six forty five, they was about
to go off the air and uh and it was
this krapt Tommy said he was doing the top three
or whatever, the top four, and we was number three
already in time. But Steve said, now that's a Now
that don't make no sense. Bless those number three and
(11:39):
number brothers in l A. That's right, So listen, let
me explain everybody. See what happened was from two thousand
one to two thousand five l A, who was LA
based radio station. Steve three and and Kevin and all
everybody was in the other l A show. In two
thousand and five, were left and went to New York
based in New York for two years. So for one
(11:59):
year with a year off two thousand and six, we
didn't even do it. We didn't even do it. But
we're trying to figure out what we had to do
with our own career. We were struggling and trying to
come up after that run, and then two thousand seven
we brought it back and so we're freaking me and
Steve I was like, okay, they in l A. And
so you know, you guys, and like you said, y'all
were three hours difference and y'all were voting. Y'all were
(12:21):
seriously voting Kevin. Yeah, we had him. Uh, we had everybody,
every old college people, everywhere, everybody we knew all over
the United States. We had them going. Man. But like
I said, and you'd be surprised. I mean, people still
come and tell me how much they missed that. And
I missed those weeks of the Hoodie Awards and so
many people. When you win, it would go and I
(12:44):
remember being, you know, like I said, it's starting in
l A. And you did. But I remember being and
I remember, you know a couple of times, but those
was the only one in I mean one time we
were the one my first year we wanted and crash
shall High wanted. And after that it got so people
don't know how hard you know, Yeah, it was like
(13:06):
you know, because you're absolutely right, because two thousand and seven,
two thousand and eight, That's when you know it became
really national because we started out syndicating to all these
walking with New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, you know, Charlotte, Miami,
all these different market dollars and so it wasn't just
l A anymore. That's why I Steer trip that you
(13:28):
guys were able to win before it really explode. And
when it really explode, it was like, Wow, this is
something that was just a just a cool idea that's
become worldwide. But that but that kind of like prepared
you for what you're doing now as as as a
as they said international brand talk about the stuff we
were talking about. Thing is we're talked about coming out
(13:49):
of Comptom. You know, open up your shop. You got
this beautiful restaurant. I'm gonna just tell you about the food. Okay,
and uh blood so ball and cute ball and que
that's on Labria. I swear to you guys every time
I go to l A. You know, the COVID has
kept me out, but I would go there and you know,
I'm telling I'm gonna typing by Candy. Candy Candy she
(14:10):
goes by Kendy Marina because I represent her as an
actress and and uh talk and producer. She took me
that the first time, she said, and she said, Kevin
said he got you on this Rashan. I said, you know,
I don't like that. I don't like that, and said
I don't like and so and so. So. You know,
every time I go in there, I don't even tell nobody.
I don't go. I've taken the Air Force in there.
(14:31):
Air Force in there because I had a big contract
the Air Force, and then I was doing a base
like two hours away and uh and in the month
of March, two hours away. And I told him, I said,
I want you all to go to l A and
Or and get and pick up this barbecue run. They said, Rushan, really,
I said, yes, blood so or Libreya. I said, the
(14:52):
Colin Green's gonna kill you then gonna mess you up. Now,
I said, Colline Green's gonna mess you up. And they
said when they two hours down to our us back,
was nobody disappointed. He went, Wow, let's see why you
would appreciate. That's how powerful I believe in your brand.
That's how good your brain is. Tell everybody about the
menu that you have, the type of food that you
(15:13):
serve on your menu, Kevin. Uh, Like I always say
that we do it right, low and slow, like a
sixth vote. You know what I'm saying. Take our time
to brisket is fifteen hours, the ribs is four to
five hours. You know, we we you know, I'm a
firm believer it's Nat broke. Don't don't fix it. You know.
I still do it the way Willie May feels you
should do it. When I was coming up spend my
summers and of course in Canada, you know, she would
(15:35):
take her time and do it right, you know. And
I just try to I just try to keep that
going at every spot that we got, you know. Um
and like I said, just knowing incredible people like you
and and and and it's so funny you bring up
because I had a discussion about that with a younger
guy who just opened up a spot, and he was saying,
you know, say, you know, uh, sometimes celebrities come in
(15:57):
and and uh this and that, this and that. Let
me just tell you one thing, I don't care who
they are, whatever whatever you give them that option, because
celebrities are different. Some of them are just like you,
who like I want to pay. Some of them don't
you know, but you being you need you need them
more than they need you. And like on any field,
(16:19):
you've got cool people and you've got uh, you know,
people who're tripping or whatever whatever, But that's on you
to understand that. But a celebrity coming in there, it's
gonna look out for your business. But you have to respect.
Just like they respect your work as a chef and
they come to your spot, you have to respect they work.
Like these people don't want to deal with people sometimes,
(16:40):
but they take the time to come come to you
and come to your spot. And sometimes us as business
owners have to really quick speaking on people's pocket books
and all that one tweet or some of the like
when you talk about free advertisement or some of the
stuff that you do. I can never pay for that
because I posted time, I posted a couple of last
(17:01):
month and I hadn't even been there, and I act
like I was there. Yeah, and That's what I'm saying.
But I can't. And I respect that, and I love
that so much. And I try to tell younger brothers
and sisters who opened up get that mentality. They the time,
they're gonna pay, but make sure you give them the
respect that they deserve, you know. I mean, we got
all huge celebrities coming there and do the same thing
(17:24):
with all of them, all of them. You know, I'm
not gonna drop no names, but I'm come about who's
you know, some of the best artists we ever had too,
from the Titanic and everything come in that spot and
they all look out. But you better give them, you know,
take care of the man because these people are gonna
do unique that. Who wasn't for that and the Hoodie
Awards and getting to know that. I mean, there was
(17:45):
so many celebrities that come to the Hoodie Awards that
came to the restaurant afterward. I gotta come see what
this is about. Absolutely absolutely, and that's that's called community.
But the thing about it, let me just tell you
some real talk here. Every time I've been I've been
there over a dozen times. Okay, I brought people with me.
I went in there by myself and just got the
vegetable spread. Because when you get the vegetable spread in
(18:06):
the met it's just too much. And I'm always traveling
and I don't really I'm in a hotel, so I
can't do it to go okay, and so so sometimes
I come in there, give me some corn bread, and
then I give me the the you know, some colar
greens and beans and and so I just break it
up like that. Or sometimes you're coming and get me
a sandwich and so. But every time I go in there,
the service is always on point. Kevin. The meal looks
(18:29):
exactly the same of quality separation. I mean picture, I
take pictures of your food and then people do. People go, Okay,
it looks like that. I said all the time, all
the time. I remember when I brought the National Guarden there.
You know, we was we were standing way in Long
Beach for for conference. I said, they said, it's where
(18:50):
we gonna eat. I said, we're going to uh blood
show bar and Q it's where l A he said.
All way on that. I said, yes, We're gonna go
over there. Went up in there. Man, they went wow
after because because the beauty about the beaut the thing
about coming to this place, like when you get your meal,
you get that double meat, triple mea the order. Because
I'm a tind of guy, man, people, I was saying, man,
(19:12):
you're small, you know all that food. Hey, stay off
my plate, Stay off my plate. Stay we need to
click that up. And so what happens when you have
a boy, five people at the table, okay, and all
that food come to the table. You get attention man,
because it looks so beautiful because every one of the
(19:33):
plates is look immaculate as far as as we want
to say, you work is immaculate. Everything. There's nothing running
off the sides, nothing too small, The portions are good.
That's why I just love what I what I eat.
That's why when I kind of sneak in because Channing,
I'm gonna tell Kevin, you know, you ain't one problem
problem because it's about a respect. That's why I started
(19:54):
the Hoodie Awards, man, because it's about showing love. Man.
The fact that you guys, you still believe in it
just excites me even more. Man. And and and the
fact that the fact that you you're doing so well
and you your TV so talk about how did the
television stuff start for you? And how would you how
would you were you nerv it? Did you know? What?
Did you? Did you play it off? How did it
(20:14):
all kick off for you? Kevin? H what my first one?
And it's so funny, my niece, because I'm I'm just like, shoot,
this is maybe two thousand ten, Kevin, I'm uh, I'm
still knee deep in the competent location. So uh uh,
this producer called and said, hey, we really want to
get you know, Kevin busy. He happened to be at
(20:36):
the restaurant. I didn't know who he was, you know,
in the restaurant, in the kitchen, we clowned in the back.
We clowned and cracked jokes and bag. The dude heard
me back there clowning. So I've never even seen it.
Didn't know who he was. And uh, he kept calling,
and he kept always he got my niece itself on him.
He always calls and she's like, um, this guy wants
you for for a TV show, And I was like
one TV show, Bar Rescue and I never heard of it,
(20:58):
you know, never heard of the show. And that just
and that he kept calling, and then one day she said, look,
this dude need a video. We're gonna go to your
house and do this video. So we we went to
the house and started the video of just you know,
me interviewing or whatever whatever. But before the thing was
even set up, it's me cussing her out and like, God,
I ain't got my t I don't know she's my
name who he's throwing souls and this man. So when
(21:18):
she sent it, she said the whole thing and John
Tafford's seen it anything. Now I gotta have this dude.
I gotta have the bam bam bam. Uh and I
got in a funny story. I'm gonna keep the shore.
But for my first episode was in uh Kansas City. Uh.
I think it was called Boondocks or whatever. The show
never was supposed to air because so we saved this boy.
(21:41):
I'm thinking this dude is. That's when I learned to
between like, oh, southern racist are Southern rocker? This dude
was a Southern rocket. We we actually are good friends
now and you know Southern rocket they like rapp and
country and on. Thinking he was a racist. But anyway,
we get into it on the show, I'm like, you know,
I'm gonna put hands on this food and on the
show and U but he didn't have no reverse. He
(22:03):
didn't have no reverse, so he wasn't no pump. You
know what I mean with it. I'm gonna get I'm
gonna get you, You're gonna get. But anyway, so it's
so crazy. So it takes about a couple of months
with him to do it. So the night before the
show was supposed to hear, which was Thanksgiving weekend that year,
I can't think of in that the exact year, he
was having a party at his bar and got a
guy was smoking, a big time country singer at his bar,
(22:24):
and they got into it, had a fight to do,
kind of got the best and Chris Chris shot and
killed the night before the show was supposed to hear,
so they had to pull up the show. But the
show accidentally aired on the replay later on that night.
And it's a big old thing and all that, but
I'm saying, I'm getting into this food. This food go
to He could have went to the back and out
of gun on me, you know. But that was my
(22:48):
first episode, my first job. And then John Tapper is
like huge in my life, like you guys or I mean,
this dude is as far as business and bars and
the things that he old and like I said, the
team episodes later. Man, he keeps me busy. In fact,
he called me the other day to congratulate me because
the Netflix show is doing so good. Number one after
(23:10):
last week is the number one unscripted show on Netflix.
And it's doing well. Man. First of all, First of all,
that we're talking about the American Barbecue Showdown, Okay, and
they got some characters on there. And your girl from Mississippi,
she's the real deal. Who the whole hall? Did you
know it before the show? Are just I knew ever?
(23:30):
If I knew ever, that was our first time meeting.
And uh, she's incredible. I mean she's a legend. She's
a legend. And uh, and you'd be surprised some of
those cooks to be first time. I mean, they did
such a good job of getting that cast together. I
mean we're hoping for a season two, but you've got
some of the producers might not even want to do
a season two because he said some things just need
to be left untouching. To get that the cast of
(23:53):
of the pit masses that they had and the attitudes
and the personalities, it's hard to you know what I'm
and it's hard to strike gold twice, you know, And well,
you know you're part of well you know you I
know you'll be back because it's part of your brain,
it's part of you. It's just part of what you do.
That that like, you know, when I put the press
relead that belaves out. You know they say, I said
(24:14):
with Kevin's name first, Kevin blood So's name first on
the press release. That press release was reached a hundred
million people. Wow. That press release picked up when you
start talking to my audience, picked up by different websites
and they started putting that numbing together a hundred million people.
And that's what relationships do, Kevin. And that's what you're
talking about this whole conversation is that you respect the process,
(24:37):
you understand the process. Just drop just drop some jewels
on people about the value of relationships, Kevin. I mean,
it's like I said when you when you say look,
I look out. I would not be here if it
wasn't for people looking out for me. And you know
what I'm saying, I always say, uh Russia's uh, I
don't give to be blessed. I'm blessed so I give
(24:58):
you know. It's not no secret. restI you to this.
You know it has to come from your heart. Like
I try to tell people, love to talk about all
the funerals and stuff we paid for um, you know,
with blood cells. Okay, let's also talk about the scholarships
and how many kids we put through college too. It's
more of the good things that outweighed the bad things.
(25:20):
And God has put me in position to help like that.
And that's what I'm saying. And and it it it
comes that, That's what it's. It's like, it's so weird,
it's just and I try to tell people it has
to come from your heart and it's natural. The blessing
is gonna keep ringing in if you do what you're
supposed to do. And how was you raised? You was
raised to give you know, spencing us as black folks.
(25:40):
I mean, you know coming up what we had, all
we had was food and and love and hugs and
all that. And like we gotta we gotta go back
to that. Man, we gotta, we gotta go back to that.
And you gotta want to put the work in. It's
hard work. Like people want to get a business. I know,
you know, a business is gonna be the hardest job
you ever had in your life. And if you don't
have that, it that's why everybody can't do it. A
(26:01):
business is gonna be the hardest job in your I mean,
I said, adding, I want to be like you. I
want to you know, be able to live in Texas,
and this and that, this and that. I said, Okay,
were you ready to go eight years without off day?
You know what I mean, I'm gonna I'm gonna post
that all the motivational car Kevin, don't put that on
my way. Are you ready to give eight years without
(26:23):
off day? Well, let me tell you. When I first
opened up Blood Shocks, I was still d Jane, so
I would have I would. I would get to blood
shows at uh four o'clock on a Saturday morning and
uh be there until seven o'clock at night, go home,
(26:44):
take a shower, pack my gig up, and go do
a DJ gig, get back about two three in the morning,
take a shower, and go up to blood shows to
take briskets off and get ready for the day. Twenty
four hours straight. And that went on for the first
almost year and a half for my business because I
was at one time I was just DJ and and catering,
so I was booked, you know. But I had to
(27:07):
do what I had to do. I mean, my daughter
wrote wanted to wish I had it, and she said,
my daddy, if you knew the work, my daddy, it
was called my Daddy's not overnight success. My daddy would
come in at three four in the morning. I would
just hope my father got at least one hour of sleep,
and I know he didn't. My Daddy's not an overnight success.
And they got to know everybody's path. It's not gonna
be that way, you know, but it's tough, specially when
you and I would and I know you know, when
(27:29):
you know, money making conversations. I would tell anybody if
you can, please have the money and the backing to start,
because when you start on a shoestring budget, that's why
a lot of them don't make it, because you need that.
And us as a community, that's why we need our
own banks and we need because we can't these younger
they can't get the loans. You know. They want you
to to be experienced to get a small business man loan,
(27:50):
but you you need the small business man only get going,
you know, and they and they and they have to
understand that. Then as you grow, get get you know,
get with a good team. I have a good team
behind me. There's no way I could do what I'm
doing if I didn't have the team that uh I
have working you know with with you know, the blood
shows LLC, the people that we have, the things that
(28:12):
have been done, the doors that have opened, to get
tied straight, to get on the bread, to get in
those conversations that we need to be in so we
can have a voice, you know. And that's the whole thing.
You have to have a good team, man, and then
you got to trust the team. You might be the quarterback,
but you need some good running backs, coaches you know
(28:32):
on the side last year, and your own cheer leaders
all that stuff, man, And more importantly, you need fans
in the stands. That's called customers. People, and how you
keep them by putting out a good product. Absolutely, Kevin,
I just want to thank you, man, and uh look,
don't hang up, come and wrap up this show. I
want to get the number and so we can stay
in touch. But uh, I just love you, man, I
(28:56):
just love you, man. Man, I got so much love
and respect for you. Bro. It's it's you know, because
of the fact that I know where you came from.
I know I know, and I know that what I've
been doing all my life and two people, I've been
doing this since all the eighteen years old. For some reason,
God just just said this is what you do. You
uplift people. You know you don't when somebody's behind you,
(29:17):
you don't run off and leave them. You extend their
own or our hand. And that's what the Neighborhood Awards
and that's what the Hoodie Awards was. And to see
you have such a reaction in it, and there's a
lot of people like that. Man, I'll be in d C.
People to Sean, come on that you ain't gonna bring
it back. Come on that shop. I'm talking about barber shops.
I'm talking about high school churches, Detroit, Atlanta, all over
(29:41):
this country. Stop me for real, man, for real? I said, look,
thinking about it. Well, we're thinking about it, man, I
got something else gonna They're gonna jump off. But we're
talking about the brother because I understand exactly what's going off,
what's going on in life, and I know it's need,
especially doing these times or the pandemic and black unrest,
because you know, some of they messed up with this
(30:01):
pregnanlated to date had their knee on her, the police
and that it's not gonna stop, man. And we gotta
go out there and vote. We got to register the vote,
and I'm voting in person, my friend, I am voting
in the person. I'm not messing around with no mail
in ballot. I'm not messing around with that. I wanted
somebody to go, here's your card. Sure you've officially voted,
because I want to people understand that that if you
(30:22):
want something to life, no matter what it is, a business,
you want to graduate, you want to be in a
relationship for a long time, it's hard work. It's hard work,
and voting it's hard if you got stand in that line,
if it's raining, if it's storming, standing that line, because
if you don't make a change, it's gonna be uh
four more years of a life that would never be good,
(30:42):
especially people who aren't making it. And I'm just talking
about you know, we we we've crossed a little line there, Kevin.
We can survive the ignorance. I'm not but say again,
if I'm making it and my people ain't making it,
then I'm not making its use. That's that's that's a burden,
you know. And I always tall you too, And I
know we wrapped, but it wasn't that long ago when
(31:02):
we talked about standing the lines. I meant my son
was at a play football at Utah and he called
me one day and he was just upset and he
was like that he was one at sixty five. I said, yeah, Mark.
He said the Voters Act was made uh June or whatever.
Since if I said yeah, whatever it was. He said,
so when you was born, black people couldn't vote. I
said no. So he said my granting them couldn't vote.
(31:23):
I said no. And if if it hit home with him,
like he knows people, he couldn't believe that he knew
black people that couldn't vote at the time. And if
people don't think certain things can happen again. Like I
tell people all the time, I'm not a conspiracy theorist,
theory of theorists or whatever. I said. But when they came,
when got their brothers from Africa for slavery, I said,
(31:45):
they were living normal life, normal life. I said, please
look at the big picture on everything. Please look at
people trying to line up with with Russia and things
like that. Just always look at the big picture, man,
and get out there and vote. And it's just this.
I never thought we would be to this time again,
and we are. And if this don't bring us all together,
(32:06):
and like I said, you can't say certain things aren't
different because I mean, I was in l A for
the ninety two rides. You know what I need to
brothers and Hispanics out there. But now look at who's
out there now. It's white, black, Hispanic together. And like
I said, maybe not in our lifetime, but I feel
like once you have kids, ain't about maybe in a
lifetime and a lifetime after that, racism might not exist
(32:29):
no more. You know what I mean? And and and
that's what I try to work towards. Man. But we
gotta do it. You know, Yes, Kevin, I would appreciate
you coming on money making conversations with a two times,
I said, two times Steve Harvey Hoody Award winner from
Los Angeles, California, a k A Compton, California, a k
of course, a kind of Texas, just south of Dallas.
(32:51):
Who don't know I forty five? See he know, I
know he knows graduating class, official college. Oh don't about
my sister went to school Bishop College. I know what
you're talking about, man, beep rock. That
Host
Rushion McDonald
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