Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Chef Jernard Wells. Chef Jernard Wells hosts "New Soul Kitchen" and "New Soul Kitchen Remix" on CLEO TV.
- Getting your product on grocery store shelves
- Writing my Cookbook, Southern Inspired 100 delicious dishes from my American table to yours.
- Being one of the founding members of the Tom Joyner Culinary Council, he curates the dining experience for the cruise.
- 4th.Philanthropy work "Jernard Wells Foundation auctioning his Services for:
- United Negro College Fund Annual Mayors Ball
- Frank Ski Fundraiser
- Historic Hampton House
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you're about to make a change in your life
and you feel uncomfortable, that's the best feeling you can
have because for the first time in your life, you'll
make a new decision that's.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Going to be best for you and not what somebody
told you to do.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
And that's when all bets are off. Welcome to Money
Making Conversation Masterclass. I'm your host, Rashan McDonald. Our theme
is there's no perfect time to start following your dreams.
I recognize that we all have different definitions of success.
For you and maybe decide to your HM, it's time
to stop reading other people's success stories to start living
your own.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Keep winning.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
The interviews and information that this show provides are for everyone.
Like I tell everybody every week, it's time to stop
reading other people's success stories and start planning and living
your own. It's really important when I say that, because
that's as honest as I can get.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You know, I have lived a life like you.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I'm a dreamer and I've had some dreams of incredible hype.
You don't think You don't think I wanted to be
Michael Jordan. You don't think I wanted to be Denzil
Washington you don't think I wanted to be Michael Jackson.
We were the same age. We are the same age.
If he was allowed today, Michael Jackson, I'd be the
same age. So you know, I wanted to be Michael Jackson,
but the reality is I could only be Rashaan McDonald.
(01:21):
And that's what I'm just telling you when you listen
to the show, I want you to be the best
you can be, and the device that I give you
on this show hopefully can enable you to understand how
you can accomplish that task. My next guest is the
best of what he can be. He's not out there
trying to be nothing else but what he is. And
the award winning TV host, celebrity chef, restaurant tour, best
(01:43):
selling cookbook author and host of the New Soul Kitchen
and New Soul Kitchen Remix on CLEOTV. Please welcome to
the Money Making Conversations with Master Class. I got to
call my best friend. He's my best friend in the
kitchen Chef Gernard Wells.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yes, indeed, I think I had with you on that.
Thank you for having me on Money Making Conversations, mass Oh.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
You know I always go back, man, You know this
is how you this is how you create a relationship.
I started buying money making conversation platform in Houston, Texas
in twenty seventeen, and this young man found me, found
me and through his I won't say persistence, he just
presented who he was and what he was doing and
(02:24):
how he was going about his product. Tell everybout how you,
how you was, how you was moving your products and
promoting your products when you went into the when you
was on your first major grocery store chain.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Talked about that.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
You know, one of the things with my manufacturer home Cuisine,
I believe sometimes and not sometimes, but all the time
we have to put our best foot forward and go
out and get what we want. And once I launched
my company, it was, okay, how do I get in
these major retailers because a lot of times it's hard.
(02:58):
But from being a small man faction to a big one,
they keep that kind of information. So I say, you
know what, I'm gonna go one store at a time,
the same way they see, how how do you eat
an elephant? One bite at a time. So I went
into store courts, I went through all of the proper
procedures of making sure that my manufacturing company has the
(03:20):
right amount the right amount of insurance because anytime, if
you're going into any kind of distribution store wise, you
always have to have at least a minimum of two
million dollars in insurance companies. I know a lot of
people are listening and hear that, don't be along with that.
There are plenty of insurance carriers that you can get
amazing rates for that. But that's to cover you in
(03:41):
the event something happened with your product. You know, something
goes wrong, you won't always make sure you cover and
the grocery stores are going to require that you have this.
So after putting that in place, also getting my UPC code.
You know, you see those bar codes that are on
the back of bottles or sauces of any packages. Those
(04:02):
UPC codes are is what is attached to your business
and it follows your company in that particular product for
the rest of its life. And I know a lot
of people say, okay, well, I can go online and
I can buy UPC code for a dollar thirty cent.
That is true, you can buy a used UPC code.
(04:22):
The only thing is that UPC code is attached to
whatever company initially purchased that UPC code. If you want
to have your own organic UPC codes for your company,
you have to go through the government, which is GS one.
Once you get your GS one certification, then that's tied
to you. That keeps track of your sales, That keeps
(04:45):
track of wherever your product goes around the world. When
using a used UPC code, whenever they scan and say
in Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, it's going to pull up
whatever company originally had that. So that's the downside sometimes
to saving money. So putting that in place, getting my
ingredient analysis, getting a facility to start producing, and you know,
(05:09):
there are so many options. Now you can go the
route like I did because I really believe in knowledge
and I wanted to know as well as that's a
way to really keep track of your money. So I
created my own manufacturing company and went through all the
legitimacy of making it a company just like craft hinds
of anyone else. If you don't want to go through that,
(05:29):
you can go the copacking route. Provide a company that
does that your recipes, you're sign an NBA with them,
they're start producing it, but remember they're going to get
a portion of that So after I get my company going,
I'm going to these grocery stores and I'm pitching to them,
and so one of them informing, you know, if someone
comes in and requests your products and you have a
(05:50):
UPC code, then we have to order it in because
it's in our database across the country. So I said, shum.
Interesting from never, so I started going into grocery stores
requesting my own product and giving it. Hey, I want
to order this particular product right here, here is good,
here's the UPC code. Can you guys order it in
(06:12):
grocery stores? Absolutely when you go to customer service, they
did not tell you no, They've reached out to my company.
Of course ordered that product in. Then when the product
came in, I didn't go back in there to buy it.
What I did was I sent concerts just people, people,
just I was meeting in the parking lot of airwhells. Hey,
(06:33):
here's five dollars going in, purchases, bottle of sauce, gifts
on me, here's this good person. And I did that
to create my own supply and demand. And once they
started saying, man, people are requesting, people are buying this product.
So from that point being chef Gennard at the businessman,
not the consumer, going, Hey, I see you guys have
been ordering my products here at Hold Foods. I would
(06:55):
love to talk to you about carrying it on a
regular basis. And from there I made sure that one
one store that I was in in Chattanooga, Tennessee did
so well that they took my products nationwide so that
all Whole Foods would be able to carry. And those
are things I always say sometimes when your funds are
limited and you're looking for different ways, there's more than
(07:17):
one way to achieve a goal. You just have to
be willing and ready to step out of your comfort
zone and do things that people typically wouldn't think of.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Well, you know, first of all, great, that's like, you know,
if you go to Harvard Business School, you know, marketing
one on one, marketing without a budget or small budgets,
you know, without using social media, without using a fan
club or email base.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
This is what you do. Personality.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
This was a personality driven campaign with the instinct of
saying supplying demand attached to it.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Hear what I'm saying, supplying demand.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
He went in a store, he had a supply He
initiated an action that there was a demand for by
using this personality, by approaching people and said, would you
purchase my product? You love it, here's the money to
assist you in the purchase. They went inside, they were
inspired by his enthusiasm, purchased this product, went out and
went Wow, this is really good and guess what they
(08:15):
became returning customers. What always annoys me by people is
they don't know how to invest in their own brand.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Chef, talk to me about that is so true.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
That is so true. And one of the things I've
learned is you have to be your biggest cheerleader, in
your biggest sales person. And if you don't believe enough
in your own brand to invest in your own brand,
trust me, nobody else will. So you have to be
willing to grab that knowledge and do what it takes
to draw enough tension to make the right people pay
(08:49):
attention to you in the right way. And even back
to my even back to myselfs after I did that,
that was just the first hurdle. After I achieved it
and I got it in the stores, guess what it
was time to do? Then, now it's time to really
put it into action. So now chefs and I'm going
into the stores. I'm dim on, I'm displaying because if
(09:10):
they ordered the product, I want to ensure that these
products get sold so that they can keep ordering. So
unwilling to I started traveling all over the United States
everywhere y'all care, everywhere, they care about products, whether it's
a big order, small order. I made an appearance to
ensure it sol and I kept doing it until I
got to a point where it became like, as they say,
(09:32):
the hams on the wheel, it starts taking care of
itself and then I can then focus on branding and
marketing from a bigger area. But it goes back to
you have to be willing to take the chance on
yourself before anybody else will believe in you. Too often
we jump out there and say, oh, I've been on
(09:53):
TV or I got this product, I got this, I
got that, But how much are you investing into yourself?
Same thing, just like with my TV show Rashawn Newsoul Kitchen.
As a matter of fact, you know, the season premier
just started last week. I'm on season five. But one
of the things that contributes to the success of that
(10:13):
show is the fact that I invested in myself when
it came to this show. Too often do I see
chefs or just entertainers as a whole. They land an
opportunity to be on somebody's TV show or have their
own show, and what they're expecting after they finished standing, Oh,
the network is gonna dump all these all this money
(10:35):
into my marketing campaign, my media campaign, all these things,
and then you found up you end up saying, oh,
the network ain't really got a budget, or either the
network don't want to release their budget to me. So
guess what you have to do? You have to be
willing to brand and market yourself once again to ensure
that it's successful. And that's one of the things that
(10:58):
all don't I want to command Cleo TV and TV one.
They have been strong footings behind me and they have
been there all along and every step to ensure and
help with my success. But it was once they saw,
oh wow, Chef Janard is really go get a Chef
Janard ain't waiting on uhsing. I went out of hide
my own look, I went out of hire my own
(11:19):
market and PR team. I went out of hire my
art found all these people to put it. And what
I told them, I said, I have this show, I
need you to focus on branding me and branding this show.
Branding so that regardless of what the network is doing
with it, I'm going to ensure that I have a
successful show because this is part of my bread and butter.
(11:40):
So we have to be willing to invest in ourselves.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Now, investing key, invest in ourselves. Now, what's the difference
between your shows on Cleo TV New Soul Kitchen and
New Soul Kitchen Remix.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
The difference the difference between the two New Soul Kitchen
is our long format. New Soul Kitchen remixes a short format,
short format. A lot of people don't even realize that
what you would call ten minutes then as the shows
are typically ten minutes on remix and in between it's
our commercials that's packaged. But these short form shows are
(12:14):
me showing you how to create meals in a fraction
of the time, thirty minutes or less meals. Because one
of the things I see the need as being a father,
a husband, a friend when we go when we get
home at the end of the day and get you
gotta feed yourself, or you gotta feed feed the children
(12:35):
or whomever you got waiting on you, and you're tireful work.
How do I create outstanding meals in a fraction of
the time. That's where Chef Jannar's Knew So Kitchen Remix
comes in, and I show you how to create these
Monday through Money, as I call them, Monday through Thursty
meals because you know, when Friday hears are shown, we
(12:56):
turn up, were ready to go all out whatever we're eating.
And that's where New Soul Kitchen comes in. At New
Soul Kitchen teaches you how to create those award winning dishes,
those dishes when you're trying to impress that significant other,
those dishes look when you want to be the talk
of the neighborhood. That's what News Old Kitchen and more importantly,
(13:19):
with being a producer on that show, I'm honored and
excited that the network gives me the opportunity to show
who I am, my character, my genuineness, because I always
want people to know the same person that you see
on TV, if you see me in the airport, if
you see me doing a live show somewhere, I'm the
(13:40):
same exact person. Because too often do we fall in
love with characters of people and then we be disappointed
when we meet the real individual. I never wanted to
be there, and I'm so honest that they allow me
to produce and put out content with my powerhouse production
family that the world when they see me, they're like, hey,
(14:02):
this seems like the real chef Jannar And the reason
it seems like that because it is there.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
You go, New Soul Kitchen, Remix, New Soul Kitchen. I'm
speaking to the real chef Genard Wells. When we come back,
we're gonna find out about all his charity work that
he's doing out there.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
And also, I gotta I gotta confess.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
He showed me up in the kitchen. Y'all came to
my house, my building and showed me I taught me
and I can't cook. That's basically that's what he showed me.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
That's what.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
You're back for.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
More money make comes to me, you know, that's why
he laughing.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Don't go back, y'all gotta hear this story. Don't go
nowhere by about.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Web.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with
Rushawn McDonald's Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass
hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass continues online
at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making Conversations Masterclass
(15:12):
on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
You know chef Genod Wells. You know I say that
word chef because you know, he's kind of honory. You know,
he's one of these guys that you know, I liking
it to sports. Okay, if you out there with Michael Jordan,
you know, good and well, you out there with Mickael Jordan, Okay,
you don't. You just get his autograph and don't try
(15:37):
to play basketball. Well, okay, I'm in the kitchen with
chefs Genoid. Well, I knew I was in the kitchen
with chef's John. I should have just took a selfie
and just let him do his thing. And so I
started bragging about my cabbage. You know, my cabbage. You know,
he said, Okay, Shans cabbage, because I got my in
my office area. I got a Roushan's kitchen. I plant
(15:59):
my tomade, I play my cabbages. Oh, I'm about to
start playing it in the minute here. Chefs you know.
Up and he said, he says, he said, so, so
how you fixing ra Sean?
Speaker 2 (16:09):
We can wrap We can do that real quick, real quick. Man,
it takes me three hours do my cabbages. You know,
I gotta let them he said, three hours.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
He said, I knocked that out right, this shell, you know.
I said, we can knocked that out in fifteen minutes.
I said, fifteen minutes. Man, how you making cabbages in
fifteen minutes when you tell them versus my three hour process?
What you did in fifteen minutes with your cabbages to
let me to go? I should have took a selfie
(16:39):
when I was in the kitchen with you instead of
running off at the mouth.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
You know. One of the things I always tell people
when it comes to cooking, I want you to think restaurant.
And what I mean when I said when it comes
to cooking, I want you to think restaurant. If you
go on the restaurant and you wait longer than thirty
minutes on anything, you anger, all right, this is too long.
And there's a reason. It's because there's a method on
our style of how we prep how we prepare a
(17:05):
dish to cook it in the fraction of the time.
Because everything is chemistry. One of the things we know
about cabbage is outside of cabbage being a green greenery,
that's full of antioxidants. And I pointed out the fact
about the antioxidants because we know this is men's health.
Cabbage is full of antioxygents, plus is full of water.
(17:27):
So when you add it to a skillet, whether it's
your cast iron skillet or your non stick skillet, you
can use minimum water because the cabbage is gonna start
to release the moisture, it's gonna wilt down, and it's
gonna get pretty much four tigers the way you want it.
So the key is what you do. Once you start
off with your cabbage. You cut it to your thin specifications.
(17:51):
You want to start salt tanning with your olive oil,
adding your garlic and whatever season is that you like,
because I always say when you season it, when you food,
cook it the way you like it, and inn serve
it to other people so that they experience who you are,
because food is no more than an extension of who
we are as an individual. Once you saw tearing it
(18:12):
down and you get it to that right point where
where you like it wilt it to, then you add
in just a small amount of your whether it's chicken stock,
your vegetable stock, or if you just want to use
straight water. You add that in pop a lid over it,
and I guarantee you keep it on long fifteen minutes.
You have some of the best cabins you ever had,
(18:34):
and in that cabin you can add in your ball peppers,
your onions, you know, sometimes the shine. I e't even
add collar greens into my cabbage when I'm salting.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Another thing. I cooked for two and a half to
three hours. By the way, okay before I met the
Michael Jordan in the kitchen. Okay, just let y'all know
is a way to do it right. And as a way,
see my mama, I was cooking like my mama. I
just that's ah. I saw cooks you just like that.
But my mama didn't look like Jeff to know it well.
So I thought I knew what I was talking about.
(19:05):
Now I know about it.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
It's done right.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
We do it right in our house. I'm very happy
to say that. But you do a lot of great things, chef,
you know it wells. I'm going to transition into the
charity work that you do. A lot of big events,
a lot of catering that you engaged in. Tell us
about you know, you have a catering side of your
business that you that you do a lot of big events,
but also you do events with that with I didn't
(19:28):
even know that Tom john A Cruise was still going on,
and you say it still goes on.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yes, the Tom Johnner Cruise has been going strong for
over twenty much years.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Is he still on the air. He's still on the air, right.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
No, Tom, You know Tom passes the throng to Ricky Smiley,
So Ricky Smiley holds tom original spot. But what Tom does?
Tom saying, ain't gotta be on their y'all come on
this crewse and you got five thousand people hanging with
him for seven days straight. That up closing person with
Tom is a real deal because when they say it's
(20:04):
a party with a purpose, it really is. And one
of the things what myself, being an HBCU alarm, I
really love giving back and that's the chef Jenni philanthropy
side of things where I love stepping in the places
like with the Tom Join A Fantastic Boyds and my
team and I we've created what's called the Tom Johnner
(20:25):
Culinary Council, and I'm one of the founding members of
that and we helped create the dishes that are served
to our people while we at sea. So you truly
get the full HBC you experience. You truly get the
full the full chef experience, because you can't have a
cruise without great food. You put seven You put almost
(20:49):
five thousand people on the ship for seven days straight
with some terrible, terrible food. They can see some of
the best. They leave that day that was the worst.
But Tom joining them got it figured out. Him and
this team I started with them. I've been with them
now for about seven years right, and the course of
that seven years, from competing on there to flagship and recipes,
(21:13):
it's become an amazing family and I love playing a part.
As a matter of fact, we set sall eight through
twenty seven through May fourths of this year. Leaving out
of Miami. We had to the Turkey k Coons, We
had to the Dominican Republic and to Puerto Rico. So
we got some amazing stops. But the real fund is
(21:34):
on the ship when we're at seeing party and cooking up.
I do live cooking shows, the whole nine. But then
there's just one side of the giving back. Others is
from the front, from the frank Ski Foundation Frank Steeke
Frank Ski that has a foundation that's for kids, and
I love actually playing a part with him and donating.
And that's where my catering company comes in at because
(21:56):
I have a catering company and I've been and my
catering company has been distance for over twenty years, which
is under the same flagship name Hoult Cuisine. But we
going and they auctioned me off. They auctioned me off
to the bidders in there, and those funds that they
raised from auctioning, I donate that towards the charitable organization.
(22:18):
So you can only imagine some of the some of
the monetary benefits that they benefit off of using my name.
But I love lending my name to great causes life.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Now, I was with you in Miami at the Historic
Hampton House. That was an amazing event that I watched
you and there was another huge charitable event where your
skills brought an incredible, diverse crowd and great food.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yes, yes, it did it. The Historic Hampton House. A
fun fact about it, it's one of the original hotels
that was in the Green Book. If you don't know,
so I know you know what it is.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Rashon.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
But for our listeners, the Green Book actually was a
map years ago what African Americans used to travel around
the United States because there was certain hotels that we
only could stay in, certain routes that we only could take,
and certain times of the day that it was safe
for us to travel. So we had this Green Book
(23:16):
and it was pretty much the African American Atlas. The
historic Hampton House was a part of that Green Book.
So if you went to Miami, that's where you you
would have stayed. And when I tell you, when you
walk in, you see some of the most surreal pictures
on the wall from Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali.
As a matter of fact, when Muhammad Ali first won
(23:36):
the World Championship, that's where he stayed. He photoed South Beach,
but had to go back to Brownsville, Old Brownsville in
Miami to stay at the Hampton.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
House, right, and a photo was taken by Malcolm X.
His photo at the bar.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
It was you know, it was you know, just watching
your career man, and just just seeing you. I just
want to, you know, just say this to you, my friend.
You're just a very very special talent. And I just
want to do whatever I can in my power to
just let people understand not only the community side and
the talent side, but it's the family side. You was
(24:13):
just a three sixty man, and uh, you know, I'm
just mad because April twenty seventh. You know I've been
Houston at the Black Man. Well this marching you're about
to take off on your cruise, you know you emphasizing
party and eating food.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
But again my heart will be with you.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Chefs, you know it well, the Michael Jordan of the Kitchen,
as far as Rashwan is concerned, this chef you go,
you should and thank you man, thank you, thank you
for coming on my show, Money Making Conversations master Class.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
But we talk soon.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Man, okay, thank you for having me and guys, make
sure you watch New Soul Kitchen this Wednesday, nine thirty Eastern,
eight thirty Central.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Love it man. You know how the market, don't it.
This has been another episode of the Money Making Conversations
master Class hosted by me Rashan McDonald. Thank you and
oh my guess you know John Gregory, Chef to Know
It Wales, the mj of the Kitchen, and thank you
my listen. Knowing is join us next week. You remember
to always leave with your gifts and keep winning.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Thank you for joining us for this edition of Money
Making Conversations Masterclass. Money Making Conversations Masterclass with rough Shan
McDonald is produced by thirty eight to fifteen Media Inc.
More information about thirty eight to fifteen Media Inc. Is
available at thirty eight fifteen media dot com. And always
remember to lead with your gifts
If you're about to make a change in your life
and you feel uncomfortable, that's the best feeling you can
have because for the first time in your life, you'll
make a new decision that's.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Going to be best for you and not what somebody
told you to do.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
And that's when all bets are off. Welcome to Money
Making Conversation Masterclass. I'm your host, Rashan McDonald. Our theme
is there's no perfect time to start following your dreams.
I recognize that we all have different definitions of success.
For you and maybe decide to your HM, it's time
to stop reading other people's success stories to start living
your own.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Keep winning.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
The interviews and information that this show provides are for everyone.
Like I tell everybody every week, it's time to stop
reading other people's success stories and start planning and living
your own. It's really important when I say that, because
that's as honest as I can get.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You know, I have lived a life like you.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I'm a dreamer and I've had some dreams of incredible hype.
You don't think You don't think I wanted to be
Michael Jordan. You don't think I wanted to be Denzil
Washington you don't think I wanted to be Michael Jackson.
We were the same age. We are the same age.
If he was allowed today, Michael Jackson, I'd be the
same age. So you know, I wanted to be Michael Jackson,
but the reality is I could only be Rashaan McDonald.
(01:21):
And that's what I'm just telling you when you listen
to the show, I want you to be the best
you can be, and the device that I give you
on this show hopefully can enable you to understand how
you can accomplish that task. My next guest is the
best of what he can be. He's not out there
trying to be nothing else but what he is. And
the award winning TV host, celebrity chef, restaurant tour, best
(01:43):
selling cookbook author and host of the New Soul Kitchen
and New Soul Kitchen Remix on CLEOTV. Please welcome to
the Money Making Conversations with Master Class. I got to
call my best friend. He's my best friend in the
kitchen Chef Gernard Wells.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yes, indeed, I think I had with you on that.
Thank you for having me on Money Making Conversations, mass Oh.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
You know I always go back, man, You know this
is how you this is how you create a relationship.
I started buying money making conversation platform in Houston, Texas
in twenty seventeen, and this young man found me, found
me and through his I won't say persistence, he just
presented who he was and what he was doing and
(02:24):
how he was going about his product. Tell everybout how you,
how you was, how you was moving your products and
promoting your products when you went into the when you
was on your first major grocery store chain.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Talked about that.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
You know, one of the things with my manufacturer home Cuisine,
I believe sometimes and not sometimes, but all the time
we have to put our best foot forward and go
out and get what we want. And once I launched
my company, it was, okay, how do I get in
these major retailers because a lot of times it's hard.
(02:58):
But from being a small man faction to a big one,
they keep that kind of information. So I say, you
know what, I'm gonna go one store at a time,
the same way they see, how how do you eat
an elephant? One bite at a time. So I went
into store courts, I went through all of the proper
procedures of making sure that my manufacturing company has the
(03:20):
right amount the right amount of insurance because anytime, if
you're going into any kind of distribution store wise, you
always have to have at least a minimum of two
million dollars in insurance companies. I know a lot of
people are listening and hear that, don't be along with that.
There are plenty of insurance carriers that you can get
amazing rates for that. But that's to cover you in
(03:41):
the event something happened with your product. You know, something
goes wrong, you won't always make sure you cover and
the grocery stores are going to require that you have this.
So after putting that in place, also getting my UPC code.
You know, you see those bar codes that are on
the back of bottles or sauces of any packages. Those
(04:02):
UPC codes are is what is attached to your business
and it follows your company in that particular product for
the rest of its life. And I know a lot
of people say, okay, well, I can go online and
I can buy UPC code for a dollar thirty cent.
That is true, you can buy a used UPC code.
(04:22):
The only thing is that UPC code is attached to
whatever company initially purchased that UPC code. If you want
to have your own organic UPC codes for your company,
you have to go through the government, which is GS one.
Once you get your GS one certification, then that's tied
to you. That keeps track of your sales, That keeps
(04:45):
track of wherever your product goes around the world. When
using a used UPC code, whenever they scan and say
in Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, it's going to pull up
whatever company originally had that. So that's the downside sometimes
to saving money. So putting that in place, getting my
ingredient analysis, getting a facility to start producing, and you know,
(05:09):
there are so many options. Now you can go the
route like I did because I really believe in knowledge
and I wanted to know as well as that's a
way to really keep track of your money. So I
created my own manufacturing company and went through all the
legitimacy of making it a company just like craft hinds
of anyone else. If you don't want to go through that,
(05:29):
you can go the copacking route. Provide a company that
does that your recipes, you're sign an NBA with them,
they're start producing it, but remember they're going to get
a portion of that So after I get my company going,
I'm going to these grocery stores and I'm pitching to them,
and so one of them informing, you know, if someone
comes in and requests your products and you have a
(05:50):
UPC code, then we have to order it in because
it's in our database across the country. So I said, shum.
Interesting from never, so I started going into grocery stores
requesting my own product and giving it. Hey, I want
to order this particular product right here, here is good,
here's the UPC code. Can you guys order it in
(06:12):
grocery stores? Absolutely when you go to customer service, they
did not tell you no, They've reached out to my company.
Of course ordered that product in. Then when the product
came in, I didn't go back in there to buy it.
What I did was I sent concerts just people, people,
just I was meeting in the parking lot of airwhells. Hey,
(06:33):
here's five dollars going in, purchases, bottle of sauce, gifts
on me, here's this good person. And I did that
to create my own supply and demand. And once they
started saying, man, people are requesting, people are buying this product.
So from that point being chef Gennard at the businessman,
not the consumer, going, Hey, I see you guys have
been ordering my products here at Hold Foods. I would
(06:55):
love to talk to you about carrying it on a
regular basis. And from there I made sure that one
one store that I was in in Chattanooga, Tennessee did
so well that they took my products nationwide so that
all Whole Foods would be able to carry. And those
are things I always say sometimes when your funds are
limited and you're looking for different ways, there's more than
(07:17):
one way to achieve a goal. You just have to
be willing and ready to step out of your comfort
zone and do things that people typically wouldn't think of.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Well, you know, first of all, great, that's like, you know,
if you go to Harvard Business School, you know, marketing
one on one, marketing without a budget or small budgets,
you know, without using social media, without using a fan
club or email base.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
This is what you do. Personality.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
This was a personality driven campaign with the instinct of
saying supplying demand attached to it.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Hear what I'm saying, supplying demand.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
He went in a store, he had a supply He
initiated an action that there was a demand for by
using this personality, by approaching people and said, would you
purchase my product? You love it, here's the money to
assist you in the purchase. They went inside, they were
inspired by his enthusiasm, purchased this product, went out and
went Wow, this is really good and guess what they
(08:15):
became returning customers. What always annoys me by people is
they don't know how to invest in their own brand.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Chef, talk to me about that is so true.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
That is so true. And one of the things I've
learned is you have to be your biggest cheerleader, in
your biggest sales person. And if you don't believe enough
in your own brand to invest in your own brand,
trust me, nobody else will. So you have to be
willing to grab that knowledge and do what it takes
to draw enough tension to make the right people pay
(08:49):
attention to you in the right way. And even back
to my even back to myselfs after I did that,
that was just the first hurdle. After I achieved it
and I got it in the stores, guess what it
was time to do? Then, now it's time to really
put it into action. So now chefs and I'm going
into the stores. I'm dim on, I'm displaying because if
(09:10):
they ordered the product, I want to ensure that these
products get sold so that they can keep ordering. So
unwilling to I started traveling all over the United States
everywhere y'all care, everywhere, they care about products, whether it's
a big order, small order. I made an appearance to
ensure it sol and I kept doing it until I
got to a point where it became like, as they say,
(09:32):
the hams on the wheel, it starts taking care of
itself and then I can then focus on branding and
marketing from a bigger area. But it goes back to
you have to be willing to take the chance on
yourself before anybody else will believe in you. Too often
we jump out there and say, oh, I've been on
(09:53):
TV or I got this product, I got this, I
got that, But how much are you investing into yourself?
Same thing, just like with my TV show Rashawn Newsoul Kitchen.
As a matter of fact, you know, the season premier
just started last week. I'm on season five. But one
of the things that contributes to the success of that
(10:13):
show is the fact that I invested in myself when
it came to this show. Too often do I see
chefs or just entertainers as a whole. They land an
opportunity to be on somebody's TV show or have their
own show, and what they're expecting after they finished standing, Oh,
the network is gonna dump all these all this money
(10:35):
into my marketing campaign, my media campaign, all these things,
and then you found up you end up saying, oh,
the network ain't really got a budget, or either the
network don't want to release their budget to me. So
guess what you have to do? You have to be
willing to brand and market yourself once again to ensure
that it's successful. And that's one of the things that
(10:58):
all don't I want to command Cleo TV and TV one.
They have been strong footings behind me and they have
been there all along and every step to ensure and
help with my success. But it was once they saw,
oh wow, Chef Janard is really go get a Chef
Janard ain't waiting on uhsing. I went out of hide
my own look, I went out of hire my own
(11:19):
market and PR team. I went out of hire my
art found all these people to put it. And what
I told them, I said, I have this show, I
need you to focus on branding me and branding this show.
Branding so that regardless of what the network is doing
with it, I'm going to ensure that I have a
successful show because this is part of my bread and butter.
(11:40):
So we have to be willing to invest in ourselves.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Now, investing key, invest in ourselves. Now, what's the difference
between your shows on Cleo TV New Soul Kitchen and
New Soul Kitchen Remix.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
The difference the difference between the two New Soul Kitchen
is our long format. New Soul Kitchen remixes a short format,
short format. A lot of people don't even realize that
what you would call ten minutes then as the shows
are typically ten minutes on remix and in between it's
our commercials that's packaged. But these short form shows are
(12:14):
me showing you how to create meals in a fraction
of the time, thirty minutes or less meals. Because one
of the things I see the need as being a father,
a husband, a friend when we go when we get
home at the end of the day and get you
gotta feed yourself, or you gotta feed feed the children
(12:35):
or whomever you got waiting on you, and you're tireful work.
How do I create outstanding meals in a fraction of
the time. That's where Chef Jannar's Knew So Kitchen Remix
comes in, and I show you how to create these
Monday through Money, as I call them, Monday through Thursty
meals because you know, when Friday hears are shown, we
(12:56):
turn up, were ready to go all out whatever we're eating.
And that's where New Soul Kitchen comes in. At New
Soul Kitchen teaches you how to create those award winning dishes,
those dishes when you're trying to impress that significant other,
those dishes look when you want to be the talk
of the neighborhood. That's what News Old Kitchen and more importantly,
(13:19):
with being a producer on that show, I'm honored and
excited that the network gives me the opportunity to show
who I am, my character, my genuineness, because I always
want people to know the same person that you see
on TV, if you see me in the airport, if
you see me doing a live show somewhere, I'm the
(13:40):
same exact person. Because too often do we fall in
love with characters of people and then we be disappointed
when we meet the real individual. I never wanted to
be there, and I'm so honest that they allow me
to produce and put out content with my powerhouse production
family that the world when they see me, they're like, hey,
(14:02):
this seems like the real chef Jannar And the reason
it seems like that because it is there.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
You go, New Soul Kitchen, Remix, New Soul Kitchen. I'm
speaking to the real chef Genard Wells. When we come back,
we're gonna find out about all his charity work that
he's doing out there.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
And also, I gotta I gotta confess.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
He showed me up in the kitchen. Y'all came to
my house, my building and showed me I taught me
and I can't cook. That's basically that's what he showed me.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
That's what.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
You're back for.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
More money make comes to me, you know, that's why
he laughing.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Don't go back, y'all gotta hear this story. Don't go
nowhere by about.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Web.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Be right back with more Money Making Conversations Masterclass with
Rushawn McDonald's Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass
hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass continues online
at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making Conversations Masterclass
(15:12):
on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
You know chef Genod Wells. You know I say that
word chef because you know, he's kind of honory. You know,
he's one of these guys that you know, I liking
it to sports. Okay, if you out there with Michael Jordan,
you know, good and well, you out there with Mickael Jordan, Okay,
you don't. You just get his autograph and don't try
(15:37):
to play basketball. Well, okay, I'm in the kitchen with
chefs Genoid. Well, I knew I was in the kitchen
with chef's John. I should have just took a selfie
and just let him do his thing. And so I
started bragging about my cabbage. You know, my cabbage. You know,
he said, Okay, Shans cabbage, because I got my in
my office area. I got a Roushan's kitchen. I plant
(15:59):
my tomade, I play my cabbages. Oh, I'm about to
start playing it in the minute here. Chefs you know.
Up and he said, he says, he said, so, so
how you fixing ra Sean?
Speaker 2 (16:09):
We can wrap We can do that real quick, real quick. Man,
it takes me three hours do my cabbages. You know,
I gotta let them he said, three hours.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
He said, I knocked that out right, this shell, you know.
I said, we can knocked that out in fifteen minutes.
I said, fifteen minutes. Man, how you making cabbages in
fifteen minutes when you tell them versus my three hour process?
What you did in fifteen minutes with your cabbages to
let me to go? I should have took a selfie
(16:39):
when I was in the kitchen with you instead of
running off at the mouth.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
You know. One of the things I always tell people
when it comes to cooking, I want you to think restaurant.
And what I mean when I said when it comes
to cooking, I want you to think restaurant. If you
go on the restaurant and you wait longer than thirty
minutes on anything, you anger, all right, this is too long.
And there's a reason. It's because there's a method on
our style of how we prep how we prepare a
(17:05):
dish to cook it in the fraction of the time.
Because everything is chemistry. One of the things we know
about cabbage is outside of cabbage being a green greenery,
that's full of antioxidants. And I pointed out the fact
about the antioxidants because we know this is men's health.
Cabbage is full of antioxygents, plus is full of water.
(17:27):
So when you add it to a skillet, whether it's
your cast iron skillet or your non stick skillet, you
can use minimum water because the cabbage is gonna start
to release the moisture, it's gonna wilt down, and it's
gonna get pretty much four tigers the way you want it.
So the key is what you do. Once you start
off with your cabbage. You cut it to your thin specifications.
(17:51):
You want to start salt tanning with your olive oil,
adding your garlic and whatever season is that you like,
because I always say when you season it, when you food,
cook it the way you like it, and inn serve
it to other people so that they experience who you are,
because food is no more than an extension of who
we are as an individual. Once you saw tearing it
(18:12):
down and you get it to that right point where
where you like it wilt it to, then you add
in just a small amount of your whether it's chicken stock,
your vegetable stock, or if you just want to use
straight water. You add that in pop a lid over it,
and I guarantee you keep it on long fifteen minutes.
You have some of the best cabins you ever had,
(18:34):
and in that cabin you can add in your ball peppers,
your onions, you know, sometimes the shine. I e't even
add collar greens into my cabbage when I'm salting.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Another thing. I cooked for two and a half to
three hours. By the way, okay before I met the
Michael Jordan in the kitchen. Okay, just let y'all know
is a way to do it right. And as a way,
see my mama, I was cooking like my mama. I
just that's ah. I saw cooks you just like that.
But my mama didn't look like Jeff to know it well.
So I thought I knew what I was talking about.
(19:05):
Now I know about it.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
It's done right.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
We do it right in our house. I'm very happy
to say that. But you do a lot of great things, chef,
you know it wells. I'm going to transition into the
charity work that you do. A lot of big events,
a lot of catering that you engaged in. Tell us
about you know, you have a catering side of your
business that you that you do a lot of big events,
but also you do events with that with I didn't
(19:28):
even know that Tom john A Cruise was still going on,
and you say it still goes on.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yes, the Tom Johnner Cruise has been going strong for
over twenty much years.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Is he still on the air. He's still on the air, right.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
No, Tom, You know Tom passes the throng to Ricky Smiley,
So Ricky Smiley holds tom original spot. But what Tom does?
Tom saying, ain't gotta be on their y'all come on
this crewse and you got five thousand people hanging with
him for seven days straight. That up closing person with
Tom is a real deal because when they say it's
(20:04):
a party with a purpose, it really is. And one
of the things what myself, being an HBCU alarm, I
really love giving back and that's the chef Jenni philanthropy
side of things where I love stepping in the places
like with the Tom Join A Fantastic Boyds and my
team and I we've created what's called the Tom Johnner
(20:25):
Culinary Council, and I'm one of the founding members of
that and we helped create the dishes that are served
to our people while we at sea. So you truly
get the full HBC you experience. You truly get the
full the full chef experience, because you can't have a
cruise without great food. You put seven You put almost
(20:49):
five thousand people on the ship for seven days straight
with some terrible, terrible food. They can see some of
the best. They leave that day that was the worst.
But Tom joining them got it figured out. Him and
this team I started with them. I've been with them
now for about seven years right, and the course of
that seven years, from competing on there to flagship and recipes,
(21:13):
it's become an amazing family and I love playing a part.
As a matter of fact, we set sall eight through
twenty seven through May fourths of this year. Leaving out
of Miami. We had to the Turkey k Coons, We
had to the Dominican Republic and to Puerto Rico. So
we got some amazing stops. But the real fund is
(21:34):
on the ship when we're at seeing party and cooking up.
I do live cooking shows, the whole nine. But then
there's just one side of the giving back. Others is
from the front, from the frank Ski Foundation Frank Steeke
Frank Ski that has a foundation that's for kids, and
I love actually playing a part with him and donating.
And that's where my catering company comes in at because
(21:56):
I have a catering company and I've been and my
catering company has been distance for over twenty years, which
is under the same flagship name Hoult Cuisine. But we
going and they auctioned me off. They auctioned me off
to the bidders in there, and those funds that they
raised from auctioning, I donate that towards the charitable organization.
(22:18):
So you can only imagine some of the some of
the monetary benefits that they benefit off of using my name.
But I love lending my name to great causes life.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Now, I was with you in Miami at the Historic
Hampton House. That was an amazing event that I watched
you and there was another huge charitable event where your
skills brought an incredible, diverse crowd and great food.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yes, yes, it did it. The Historic Hampton House. A
fun fact about it, it's one of the original hotels
that was in the Green Book. If you don't know,
so I know you know what it is.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Rashon.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
But for our listeners, the Green Book actually was a
map years ago what African Americans used to travel around
the United States because there was certain hotels that we
only could stay in, certain routes that we only could take,
and certain times of the day that it was safe
for us to travel. So we had this Green Book
(23:16):
and it was pretty much the African American Atlas. The
historic Hampton House was a part of that Green Book.
So if you went to Miami, that's where you you
would have stayed. And when I tell you, when you
walk in, you see some of the most surreal pictures
on the wall from Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali.
As a matter of fact, when Muhammad Ali first won
(23:36):
the World Championship, that's where he stayed. He photoed South Beach,
but had to go back to Brownsville, Old Brownsville in
Miami to stay at the Hampton.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
House, right, and a photo was taken by Malcolm X.
His photo at the bar.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
It was you know, it was you know, just watching
your career man, and just just seeing you. I just
want to, you know, just say this to you, my friend.
You're just a very very special talent. And I just
want to do whatever I can in my power to
just let people understand not only the community side and
the talent side, but it's the family side. You was
(24:13):
just a three sixty man, and uh, you know, I'm
just mad because April twenty seventh. You know I've been
Houston at the Black Man. Well this marching you're about
to take off on your cruise, you know you emphasizing
party and eating food.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
But again my heart will be with you.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Chefs, you know it well, the Michael Jordan of the Kitchen,
as far as Rashwan is concerned, this chef you go,
you should and thank you man, thank you, thank you
for coming on my show, Money Making Conversations master Class.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
But we talk soon.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Man, okay, thank you for having me and guys, make
sure you watch New Soul Kitchen this Wednesday, nine thirty Eastern,
eight thirty Central.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Love it man. You know how the market, don't it.
This has been another episode of the Money Making Conversations
master Class hosted by me Rashan McDonald. Thank you and
oh my guess you know John Gregory, Chef to Know
It Wales, the mj of the Kitchen, and thank you
my listen. Knowing is join us next week. You remember
to always leave with your gifts and keep winning.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Thank you for joining us for this edition of Money
Making Conversations Masterclass. Money Making Conversations Masterclass with rough Shan
McDonald is produced by thirty eight to fifteen Media Inc.
More information about thirty eight to fifteen Media Inc. Is
available at thirty eight fifteen media dot com. And always
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