November 4, 2024 • 22 mins
Dive into the captivating story of Nard Live Free, a social media influencer who turned his passion for entrepreneurship into a thrilling app development journey. In this exclusive interview, Nard shares his remarkable transition from a 9-to-5 grind to becoming a full-time business owner, leveraging his expertise in marketing and his unwavering commitment to empowering others.
Discover how Nard's app, "Cook Lke Me," is poised to revolutionize the culinary landscape, uniting food enthusiasts, chefs, and critics under one virtual roof. Hear Nard's vision for the app's future, including seamless food delivery integration and innovative grocery store partnerships. This episode is a must-watch for anyone inspired by entrepreneurial success and the power of using technology to bring people together through the universal language of food.
Follow the Cook Lke Me app: https://www.instagram.com/cooklkeme/
Follow Dope Interviews on X: https://www.twitter.com/dope_interviews
Follow Warren Shaw on X: https://www.twitter.com/shawsportsnba
Follow Warren on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shawsports
Rock "Dope Interviews" gear: https://19-media-group.myspreadshop.com
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dope-interviews--5006633/support.
Follow Dope Interviews on X: https://www.twitter.com/dope_interviews
Follow Warren Shaw on X: https://www.twitter.com/thewarrenshaw
Follow Warren on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewarrenshaw
Rock "Dope Interviews" gear: https://19-media-group.myspreadshop.com
Looking to book a vacation? Our travel partner Exquiste Travel & Tours has you covered: Call 954-228-5479 or visit https://exquisitetravelandtours.com/
Discover our favorite podcast gear and support the show—shop our studio must-haves on our Amazon Affiliate page! https://www.amazon.com/shop/19mediagroup
Want to join the conversation or invite us to your platform? Connect with us and share your vision (budget-friendly collaborations welcome)! https://bit.ly/19Guest
Discover how Nard's app, "Cook Lke Me," is poised to revolutionize the culinary landscape, uniting food enthusiasts, chefs, and critics under one virtual roof. Hear Nard's vision for the app's future, including seamless food delivery integration and innovative grocery store partnerships. This episode is a must-watch for anyone inspired by entrepreneurial success and the power of using technology to bring people together through the universal language of food.
Follow the Cook Lke Me app: https://www.instagram.com/cooklkeme/
Follow Dope Interviews on X: https://www.twitter.com/dope_interviews
Follow Warren Shaw on X: https://www.twitter.com/shawsportsnba
Follow Warren on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shawsports
Rock "Dope Interviews" gear: https://19-media-group.myspreadshop.com
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dope-interviews--5006633/support.
Follow Dope Interviews on X: https://www.twitter.com/dope_interviews
Follow Warren Shaw on X: https://www.twitter.com/thewarrenshaw
Follow Warren on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewarrenshaw
Rock "Dope Interviews" gear: https://19-media-group.myspreadshop.com
Looking to book a vacation? Our travel partner Exquiste Travel & Tours has you covered: Call 954-228-5479 or visit https://exquisitetravelandtours.com/
Discover our favorite podcast gear and support the show—shop our studio must-haves on our Amazon Affiliate page! https://www.amazon.com/shop/19mediagroup
Want to join the conversation or invite us to your platform? Connect with us and share your vision (budget-friendly collaborations welcome)! https://bit.ly/19Guest
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dope.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
It's worth closing this Pam's DNA. Dope, It's worth closing
this Pam's DNA.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Well, it's good everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to Dope Interviews, brought to you by the Mighty
nineteen Media Group. I'm your host, Warrenshaw, and in the
virtual building today I have a social media influencer and
now an app developer.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Developer my guy Nard live free. Nard.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Welcome to Dope Interviews. Brother, So nice to see you man.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Now, I appreciate you willing for having me, Like I
was saying, I really do appreciate you guys, but allow
me to come on your platform to talk about my app.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
So we want to get to know you a little
bit too.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
You know, for those who are uninitiated, you are again
a social media influencer and I, you know, I got
to ask, just how does one really get into that
space and then let it and have it take off
in the way that that you did.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
What was your backstory into becoming an influencer.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I had a nine and fat job before Covid, and
then I started digging enough and to get my personal
things going with my business, like trying to get it
funded and whatnot. So I started taking that not a
serious and then I started teaching it to others. Then
I developed a platform where I can, you know, give
the opportunity to consumers to come learn everything that I
(01:15):
was learning about how to get my LS started and
fixing my credit.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
The background is the funding.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Then I started teaching others that and kind of jump
into the rim of just doing that for a living
per se.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
That's that's dope, I mean really and truly.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
So we're in a space where those things and you know,
for my air quote generation, that would have been something
that people would have been like, ah, bro, you really,
what are you really trying to do? You need to
go get an air quote real job, as they say.
So for you, who were your biggest supporters when you said, hey,
this is an aspect, this is a line of work
that I kind of want to do. And did you
have any people who detracted from you and said, listen,
(01:56):
not the same the way you can't really do that?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Not really, I didn't really tell to me people like
I turned my girlfriend at the time, where was my
plans about me leaving my job and whatnot? She was
fully supportive of that. She had her fitness business going
at the time. So when I told her what I
was about to do, she was excited, you know, because
I used to have to get up three four am
in the morning to be at work at like five
thirty and then stay there until two pm two thirty sometimes,
(02:25):
and if I got mandated, I had to stay there
till eleven pm, you know, and then I have to
go back. So when I told her things was picking
up and that was that was pretty much the background
story to that. Like, she was fully supportive of that.
Other than that, everybody else was on the fence. Like
my friend, my best friend who was an entrepreneur at
the time, he definitely was down for so shout out
(02:46):
to him for that. Shout out to a great to
help me make that jump, that leap into being a
full time entrepreneur and I pretty much been rocking and
rolling since then.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Aradulations to you for that for real. And one of the.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Things that it's very hard, you know, to kind of
step out on your own sometimes, especially if you have
been in that that grind, right that that normal grind,
and then I'm working those types of hours, if you will,
What do you think really was the key to growing
the business? Growing into an entrepreneur and staying as successful
as you have been over the last x amount of years.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
So it's all about marketing. If I really had to say,
it's like how well do you market your business? Like
I posted about my business every day, you know, I
do not neglect not posting about my business, doing different things,
being innovative with my marketing tactics per se, to like
just help get my brand out, you know, like I
try to do things that look good, Like if I
(03:46):
take a picture, I make sure that I got a
professional that's.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
Taking it, a good quality phone.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Like I started thinking about those type of things, and
it kind of like really carried over from college. Like
during my college days, we used to throw some of
the biggest parties on campus, and that pretty much was
like the testing starting point from there is like if
I can pack out a fifteen hundred people party, why
not try to do it when my business try to
(04:13):
get fifteen hundred customers. And that's about it, Like honestly,
like I just took that ground from what we was
doing college, like we having fun and just took off
with that, like the handbills running around posting my everything
about me up, like just what a business.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Like, putting it on.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Walls and bus stops and parking meters and just going
crazy on Instagram, just constantly drilling what I'm doing, what
I got going on, how I can help you, and
pretty much did it for itself after that, like I
had a well balanced background of people that knew who
I was, I can say, like just from college and
(04:54):
its kind of carried over into my ADUBT life.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
And I just went with it from yeah, yeah, No.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
One of the things I've heard you say multiple times
here now is helping people, And so just talk to
me a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Why Why is that something that's important to you individually?
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Is that kind of homegrown something you just just have
a natural interest and natural interest and instincting.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Why is helping people so important to you specifically?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
You know, I hate to really say it, but you know,
like our culture, like black people, we really lack information.
So it's like if I know something that a lot
of people don't know, I might as well share it.
Like we got a lot of people that just charged
for everything, and I try not to be that way,
even though I got to charge sometimes for things, but
they started off for me doing everything for free, Like
(05:48):
I was just dropping gams left and right on Facebook, like,
hey you can do X, Y and Z to boost
your credit score. If people started liking post started Shanny,
and that's what I is, Like, I really do care
about giving back and helping others. It's like I really
do have a passion for that. My fraternity all about
mentoring young black men to get the white starting life.
So I've pretty much been doing that forever. A help
(06:10):
in hand because I'm gonna really get a lot of help,
believe it or not. So whenever I do get help,
I take it in. But then I just think about
everybody else that's not getting help.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
So I just try to.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Be as helpful as possible and if I can make
it work for like a couple of dollars, just to
make sure, Like I know what the price ranges of
people where they like to spend money at for like
particular things like we'll go spend a lot of money
for designer and whatnot. But then when it's time for
you to spend money on things to help you grow
(06:45):
your business or learn about things to make sure that
your business is successful, we tend to want to not
really pay that much. So I meet people right in
the middle. If you can pay for a Jordan shoe
that's online and reseale price, you should be able to
come to me for the same price.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
And that's why I was there with it.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
So I kind of play the field with what people
like to spend what they want to spend it on,
and try to meet the meeting and still make a
living for myself, but still give back, like I really
you care to giving back?
Speaker 5 (07:12):
It is how you know.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
That's really insightful and it could steer us down a
path that is probably not ready I think right now
in terms of what people value right and what people
will pay for what they think they'll pay for, but
the investment in themselves outside of the outward appearance and
the material things is is probably not where it should
(07:36):
be in society.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And you and I are aligned in that thought process
for sure. But I've also had that mentality personally.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I was like, oh, I'll go buy this, but like, hey,
I need to buy better podcasting equipment.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Oh man, I'll just make it work like that.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
And that's a really interesting kind of defeat, this mentality
that you know, our people and people in general definitely
need to step out of I mean, I really really
enjoy that point, man, So thank you so much for
bringing that to life.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
No, I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Yeah, No, it's just really like I'm very observant, like
so I just sit back and just watch what we do.
And it's like, Man, if I can help somebody get
to the next level in life to be like potentially
financially free, then why not do everything that I can
to help you get on that path to grow? So
(08:23):
it's all about growing, Like I care about growing, Like
I do things all the time to try to grow,
Like you see him trying to grow my app. That's
a challenge in itself, you know, just to just say it,
you know. So it's all about growing, like getting to
the next level. What I gotta do to keep going
and just keep going. That's what the live free all about.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
You know, Yes, sir, you said it right here.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Reach outing with Nard lift Free, discussing here his social
media path, his entrepreneurship, but also now as he just
so expertly transitioned us to his app cook like me.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So, Nard, your interest in cooking, where did that stem from?
You know, read the background that you.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
You know, did a little bit of culinary school, what
happened with that situation there brother, and just kind of
talk about you know, why why why the cook like
me out?
Speaker 4 (09:14):
So it's transpired because in high school I had cooking
classes of course, so I was in I played all
the sports and when and so I was hungry throughout
the day.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
So I took culinary and end up liking it, but
I never.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Really took it serious to like do it for a
career wise, So as I got older, you know, I
started thinking about things that I was doing in my
past that I wasn't doing now, and pretty much was
on Facebook and Instagram just growing like eight years ago,
and I was like, man, we don't have a cooking
(09:51):
social media site at all, like a platform street Beet
for cooks. Like at the time, nobody was cooking, nobody
was uploading food. It wasn't as like trainy as it
is now. And that's when it like transpired it to
me thinking about cook Like me, I thought about that
name eight years ago, So it has just been on
my brain from now until the end. Yeah, it came
(10:15):
from there.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Really what goes into the creation of an app?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Right, So you have this idea in your head, but
then how do you who do you reach out to
and say, all right, I want I want to do this,
I want to create it. I wanted to be able
to do this way. Do these things connect people this way?
Be kind of a you know, a social media craze
where people can upload their images and their meals and
so forth and so forth. How do you even get
(10:40):
into development phase or something like that?
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Man?
Speaker 4 (10:48):
For years, I kept making like a general post on Facebook,
Like the first one that I made was what January eighteen,
twenty sixteen, Like I sayd because it means that much
to you. That was like the first time that I
actually made a post about trying to get somebody to
develop an app. And at the time, nobody knew. Of course,
(11:10):
nobody knew what I was talking about. Well, they knew
about developing like or apps per se, but nobody knew
how to make an app. At the time. Everybody knew
how to make websites, of course, So it wasn't until
I had got my website from my business that I
had asked one of my friends, you know, who can
make an app? Then they put me on to their
(11:30):
people that knew how to make an out, but they
ended up being a nightmare sad to say, so I
had to go find somebody else that can fix the
app and get it going.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
So it kind of was like I.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Got when I thought about the app, I was like, hey,
do you know anybody know how to make an app?
Speaker 5 (11:47):
They was like, yeah, we do, and I.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Was like, oh, so I kind of just pushed the
gun on it because now, what was it almost a
year ago because it was last year in the summer,
I don't have a taco whatnot. But I just kept
seeing people like post videos from there with food and
it was like as years progressed from twenty sixteen to now,
(12:10):
I just kept seeing it, kept seeing and they kept
seeing it, and I took it as a sign. So
I was like, damn, I gotta get this app going.
Like I had some money saved up even from when
I left my job and whatnot, and I just took
that and just started fishing for somebody that.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
Can make my app before I end up missing the train.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Well it's here now, right, you know what I mean,
years in the making, and as they say, in God's timing, right,
so you got it in the space that it needs
to be. And so we're here on Dope interviews, right,
so I need to know, point blank, you know, what's
the dopest meal you've ever made.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
I'm a piece of head, and I, like I afraid
us in high school only stuff to that. I didn't
try to like Deba and try to do some of
these big gremet meals and whatnot. I stayed kept a
simple I just needed something on my stomach. I just
needed something on my stodach Man. But nah, Actually, what
she was about to.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Say, I said, No, I ain't mad at that at all.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Brother, I can't. I can't.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
I'm not.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
Now.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
What I was about to say was when I was
in high school, I realized that other people was taking
it more serious than me. So that really had me
thinking about it. When I was thinking about that, like
how many sheeps are there? You know, people with restaurants,
like I even saw you interview a guy what was
his name, Stephen with the Golden Crush. You know, they
have restaurants and brands that they're just trying to get
(13:40):
out to the world.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
You know what I'm saying, Oh yeah, Stephen Clark.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
So just thinking about how we can unite, you know,
the culinary world under one rim or one roof is
what that's all I'm thinking about, like your help growing
the app, you know, like how can I get everything
gonna do one roof so we can just read it
and just looking at people who really take cutting every series,
(14:06):
like they don't really have a platform to show what
they really can do, Like they have to put it
on Instagram, they have to put it on Facebook, and
then you know people not really trying to stay watch it,
but you know they're not on Facebook per.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Se for that.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
You know, they're looking for everything post what's being shared
around things of that nature, and like just reading different things.
So it's like, okay, they need to help you guys
get your brand down there. How can we help get
all everything that you got with your culinary or your
food truck, your business, your small stores and just put
(14:43):
it on one aspect, you know, one brand.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Just get it up with it.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
So last couple ones before you let you fly out
of here.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Brother, And you know, I definitely again thank you so
much for taking the time. Cook cooking and food and
more and more pointantly can be a unifier and I
think you've been indicating that as much. You know, through
the app, it's going to connect people with different cultures
and you know, different types of food and different types
of people. Have you yourself experienced that, you know, that
(15:17):
kind of craze or bond if you will. Have you
ever bonded with somebody over food or something that you
didn't think you'd even like and now all of a sudden,
you know you and now your new friend, or eating
Indian food or something like that. Do you have any
experiences like that, because I think this app is going
to bring people together in that way.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I haven't tried there food, but I do have one
of my assistants that I've been working with for you know,
four or five years.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
She's Filipinos.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
So I see the food that they eat and.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
It just looked interesting, you know, I just watch it.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
But like things that I have tried that I typically
don't eat, I'm going and say the vegan food, you know,
like I don't really mess with vegan, but my best
friend is vegan, so he always being like, man, let's
try this, let's try that. And that's the only type
of different type of food that I like stepped out
on and try so but vegan with you know, just
(16:17):
stepping out of course, I eat like Indian tame food
BATCHI you know, Chinese food of course, but like on
a different level.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
The vegan world is different from me.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
So that's like totally different from how we operate normally.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
I hear you on that. I hear you on that.
My wife is, uh, she's not full vegan, but she
likes to try some stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Here and there. And I'm like, nah, you got it,
that's all you.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I'm a past, I'm a past. Yeah, I'm cool. I'm cool.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Looking ahead, my guy, Nor, tell me a little bit
more about, you know, any aspects of the app that
you're looking to enhance, looking to kind of bring into
the fold, anybody else you'd want to collaborate with, you know,
to give the app a little bit more exposure, just
you know, kind of what are the next steps there too,
if you're able to utilize your network and as this
(17:09):
thing continues to get a little bit older and people
get more exposed to what's going on with it.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
Long term for the app, I would like to have
food delivery service like Uber, and then I would love
to have like all the major franchises that that's under
the grocery industry promoting the ads on my app, Like,
you know, all the deals supposedly. I don't know what
you're from South Florida, right, are you guys? You guys
good out there? Did you ever get hit?
Speaker 5 (17:38):
I'm sorry? Or is everything?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Oh no, no, yeah, thank you for asking. I'm we
we we got very very lucky here in the South
Florida area. Went to the north of US. But yeah,
we we are. We are solid.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
No, no, not just make sure. I was thinking about that.
So I'm glad that you're doing well. But here in
our grocery stores, I'm pretty sure yours as well. Like
you go in and if you want to see what
was on sale, you had to pick up the paper,
you know, But everything is like virtual now on digital,
so I'm trying to just have it on the apps.
So whenever you near a store, it pops up. Let
(18:11):
you know that you are at these jewels. What's one
of you guys as stores in the South. What's the
name of one of those stores?
Speaker 5 (18:18):
I can't think of publics?
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, public, that's the one agreeing in public. Yeah, Like
if you put them up to a public you'll be
able to see all the ads and things that are
on sale from there, Like it should just be able
to pop up and you can grow grocery stoping and
seeing what items are on. Like I care about having
the grocery stores, all the restaurants. I would like to
(18:41):
have one there where food critics leaving reviews of course,
and whatnot about these restaurants in different states and the
whole column where if you were in like South Florida
or Chicago or what you can see what restaurants are
the best restaurants to go eat at just from the app,
from every right, you're recommending what you can do.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
So that's long term.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
What I have going on for the app uber the
grocery stores and just know where to eat at when
you are in that place a country like I plan
on taking this everywhere.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I have no doubt that you're going to be successful.
And you know, you kind of struck gold here a
little bit too. I think even in just your humanitarian way,
even asking me about if I'm good, you know, with
all the hurricanes and tropical storms that have been our way.
But after a storm, right, the app can be utilized
for people to say, rabll what is around me? If
restaurants and grocery stores you know, have been impacted. I
(19:38):
think that's another way that app can be utilized as
a form of community, but also as a form of help,
you know, to to others as well too. So there's
a lot of value to what you're doing, man, and
I want to I would encourage you to keep doing
what you're doing because you know you'll be blessed that
you're continue to bless out this brother. I really do
appreciate the time here and dope interviews.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah, I appreciate you. Thanks for having me for sure.
Well and hopefully this was a dope interview for you.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Oh man, you just stole a whole tag line. Stole
the whole tag line. But as he said, Man, I'm
Warren Shaw. He is Nard Live Free. Make sure you
follow him at Nard Underscore Live Free. Make sure you
get with a cook like Me app that's coe ok.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
L k e M.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Available on Apple and your Google Play Store as well too.
And you know what it is. Fam has been another
dope interview. But my guy Nard and we're.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Out please together, we stand the vile. We never the
vision is won, striving for the better, working as a team,
working toward a dream. It's not even work when the
team is the dream. When he's not in front. We
got a home the back, a band of brothers, the
count wrapped in he attack one hard in the fact,
forget what the blood say. Dope is what flows in
(20:49):
his fan's DNA. So let's do it for the love,
give to the Max. Listen to an opinion, but react
to facts and remember that together with a shit, but
separate just pieces of it. Shooting dope. It's worth closing
his Stam's DNA. Dope, It's worth closing his Stam's DNA.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
Family represent like a tree with names on it. We're free,
no change on it. Believe the pain's gone. I can
see we come together like questions on the quiz Mota
flowing viz man, you know what it is and if
ignorance is blisity, gonna hate this lesson organized in the
like a tropical depression. My simple list across some mic
and ghost peppers. Because I'm just a black shoe growing
up to be a shepherd, moon lighting as a weapon
(21:37):
to protect the children. Every brother is a father. Dynasties.
We're building Max J and k Babay and Isai next
level of the family foundation.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Understand me
Dope.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
It's worth closing this Pam's DNA. Dope, It's worth closing
this Pam's DNA.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Well, it's good everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Welcome to Dope Interviews, brought to you by the Mighty
nineteen Media Group. I'm your host, Warrenshaw, and in the
virtual building today I have a social media influencer and
now an app developer.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Developer my guy Nard live free. Nard.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Welcome to Dope Interviews. Brother, So nice to see you man.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
Now, I appreciate you willing for having me, Like I
was saying, I really do appreciate you guys, but allow
me to come on your platform to talk about my app.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
So we want to get to know you a little
bit too.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
You know, for those who are uninitiated, you are again
a social media influencer and I, you know, I got
to ask, just how does one really get into that
space and then let it and have it take off
in the way that that you did.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
What was your backstory into becoming an influencer.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I had a nine and fat job before Covid, and
then I started digging enough and to get my personal
things going with my business, like trying to get it
funded and whatnot. So I started taking that not a
serious and then I started teaching it to others. Then
I developed a platform where I can, you know, give
the opportunity to consumers to come learn everything that I
(01:15):
was learning about how to get my LS started and
fixing my credit.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
The background is the funding.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Then I started teaching others that and kind of jump
into the rim of just doing that for a living
per se.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
That's that's dope, I mean really and truly.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
So we're in a space where those things and you know,
for my air quote generation, that would have been something
that people would have been like, ah, bro, you really,
what are you really trying to do? You need to
go get an air quote real job, as they say.
So for you, who were your biggest supporters when you said, hey,
this is an aspect, this is a line of work
that I kind of want to do. And did you
have any people who detracted from you and said, listen,
(01:56):
not the same the way you can't really do that?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Not really, I didn't really tell to me people like
I turned my girlfriend at the time, where was my
plans about me leaving my job and whatnot? She was
fully supportive of that. She had her fitness business going
at the time. So when I told her what I
was about to do, she was excited, you know, because
I used to have to get up three four am
in the morning to be at work at like five
thirty and then stay there until two pm two thirty sometimes,
(02:25):
and if I got mandated, I had to stay there
till eleven pm, you know, and then I have to
go back. So when I told her things was picking
up and that was that was pretty much the background
story to that. Like, she was fully supportive of that.
Other than that, everybody else was on the fence. Like
my friend, my best friend who was an entrepreneur at
the time, he definitely was down for so shout out
(02:46):
to him for that. Shout out to a great to
help me make that jump, that leap into being a
full time entrepreneur and I pretty much been rocking and
rolling since then.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Aradulations to you for that for real. And one of the.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Things that it's very hard, you know, to kind of
step out on your own sometimes, especially if you have
been in that that grind, right that that normal grind,
and then I'm working those types of hours, if you will,
What do you think really was the key to growing
the business? Growing into an entrepreneur and staying as successful
as you have been over the last x amount of years.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
So it's all about marketing. If I really had to say,
it's like how well do you market your business? Like
I posted about my business every day, you know, I
do not neglect not posting about my business, doing different things,
being innovative with my marketing tactics per se, to like
just help get my brand out, you know, like I
try to do things that look good, Like if I
(03:46):
take a picture, I make sure that I got a
professional that's.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
Taking it, a good quality phone.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Like I started thinking about those type of things, and
it kind of like really carried over from college. Like
during my college days, we used to throw some of
the biggest parties on campus, and that pretty much was
like the testing starting point from there is like if
I can pack out a fifteen hundred people party, why
not try to do it when my business try to
(04:13):
get fifteen hundred customers. And that's about it, Like honestly,
like I just took that ground from what we was
doing college, like we having fun and just took off
with that, like the handbills running around posting my everything
about me up, like just what a business.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Like, putting it on.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Walls and bus stops and parking meters and just going
crazy on Instagram, just constantly drilling what I'm doing, what
I got going on, how I can help you, and
pretty much did it for itself after that, like I
had a well balanced background of people that knew who
I was, I can say, like just from college and
(04:54):
its kind of carried over into my ADUBT life.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
And I just went with it from yeah, yeah, No.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
One of the things I've heard you say multiple times
here now is helping people, And so just talk to
me a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Why Why is that something that's important to you individually?
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Is that kind of homegrown something you just just have
a natural interest and natural interest and instincting.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Why is helping people so important to you specifically?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
You know, I hate to really say it, but you know,
like our culture, like black people, we really lack information.
So it's like if I know something that a lot
of people don't know, I might as well share it.
Like we got a lot of people that just charged
for everything, and I try not to be that way,
even though I got to charge sometimes for things, but
they started off for me doing everything for free, Like
(05:48):
I was just dropping gams left and right on Facebook, like,
hey you can do X, Y and Z to boost
your credit score. If people started liking post started Shanny,
and that's what I is, Like, I really do care
about giving back and helping others. It's like I really
do have a passion for that. My fraternity all about
mentoring young black men to get the white starting life.
So I've pretty much been doing that forever. A help
(06:10):
in hand because I'm gonna really get a lot of help,
believe it or not. So whenever I do get help,
I take it in. But then I just think about
everybody else that's not getting help.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
So I just try to.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Be as helpful as possible and if I can make
it work for like a couple of dollars, just to
make sure, Like I know what the price ranges of
people where they like to spend money at for like
particular things like we'll go spend a lot of money
for designer and whatnot. But then when it's time for
you to spend money on things to help you grow
(06:45):
your business or learn about things to make sure that
your business is successful, we tend to want to not
really pay that much. So I meet people right in
the middle. If you can pay for a Jordan shoe
that's online and reseale price, you should be able to
come to me for the same price.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
And that's why I was there with it.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
So I kind of play the field with what people
like to spend what they want to spend it on,
and try to meet the meeting and still make a
living for myself, but still give back, like I really
you care to giving back?
Speaker 5 (07:12):
It is how you know.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
That's really insightful and it could steer us down a
path that is probably not ready I think right now
in terms of what people value right and what people
will pay for what they think they'll pay for, but
the investment in themselves outside of the outward appearance and
the material things is is probably not where it should
(07:36):
be in society.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And you and I are aligned in that thought process
for sure. But I've also had that mentality personally.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I was like, oh, I'll go buy this, but like, hey,
I need to buy better podcasting equipment.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Oh man, I'll just make it work like that.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
And that's a really interesting kind of defeat, this mentality
that you know, our people and people in general definitely
need to step out of I mean, I really really
enjoy that point, man, So thank you so much for
bringing that to life.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
No, I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Yeah, No, it's just really like I'm very observant, like
so I just sit back and just watch what we do.
And it's like, Man, if I can help somebody get
to the next level in life to be like potentially
financially free, then why not do everything that I can
to help you get on that path to grow? So
(08:23):
it's all about growing, Like I care about growing, Like
I do things all the time to try to grow,
Like you see him trying to grow my app. That's
a challenge in itself, you know, just to just say it,
you know. So it's all about growing, like getting to
the next level. What I gotta do to keep going
and just keep going. That's what the live free all about.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
You know, Yes, sir, you said it right here.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Reach outing with Nard lift Free, discussing here his social
media path, his entrepreneurship, but also now as he just
so expertly transitioned us to his app cook like me.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So, Nard, your interest in cooking, where did that stem from?
You know, read the background that you.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
You know, did a little bit of culinary school, what
happened with that situation there brother, and just kind of
talk about you know, why why why the cook like
me out?
Speaker 4 (09:14):
So it's transpired because in high school I had cooking
classes of course, so I was in I played all
the sports and when and so I was hungry throughout
the day.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
So I took culinary and end up liking it, but
I never.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Really took it serious to like do it for a
career wise, So as I got older, you know, I
started thinking about things that I was doing in my
past that I wasn't doing now, and pretty much was
on Facebook and Instagram just growing like eight years ago,
and I was like, man, we don't have a cooking
(09:51):
social media site at all, like a platform street Beet
for cooks. Like at the time, nobody was cooking, nobody
was uploading food. It wasn't as like trainy as it
is now. And that's when it like transpired it to
me thinking about cook Like me, I thought about that
name eight years ago, So it has just been on
my brain from now until the end. Yeah, it came
(10:15):
from there.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Really what goes into the creation of an app?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Right, So you have this idea in your head, but
then how do you who do you reach out to
and say, all right, I want I want to do this,
I want to create it. I wanted to be able
to do this way. Do these things connect people this way?
Be kind of a you know, a social media craze
where people can upload their images and their meals and
so forth and so forth. How do you even get
(10:40):
into development phase or something like that?
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Man?
Speaker 4 (10:48):
For years, I kept making like a general post on Facebook,
Like the first one that I made was what January eighteen,
twenty sixteen, Like I sayd because it means that much
to you. That was like the first time that I
actually made a post about trying to get somebody to
develop an app. And at the time, nobody knew. Of course,
(11:10):
nobody knew what I was talking about. Well, they knew
about developing like or apps per se, but nobody knew
how to make an app. At the time. Everybody knew
how to make websites, of course, So it wasn't until
I had got my website from my business that I
had asked one of my friends, you know, who can
make an app? Then they put me on to their
(11:30):
people that knew how to make an out, but they
ended up being a nightmare sad to say, so I
had to go find somebody else that can fix the
app and get it going.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
So it kind of was like I.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Got when I thought about the app, I was like, hey,
do you know anybody know how to make an app?
Speaker 5 (11:47):
They was like, yeah, we do, and I.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Was like, oh, so I kind of just pushed the
gun on it because now, what was it almost a
year ago because it was last year in the summer,
I don't have a taco whatnot. But I just kept
seeing people like post videos from there with food and
it was like as years progressed from twenty sixteen to now,
(12:10):
I just kept seeing it, kept seeing and they kept
seeing it, and I took it as a sign. So
I was like, damn, I gotta get this app going.
Like I had some money saved up even from when
I left my job and whatnot, and I just took
that and just started fishing for somebody that.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
Can make my app before I end up missing the train.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Well it's here now, right, you know what I mean,
years in the making, and as they say, in God's timing, right,
so you got it in the space that it needs
to be. And so we're here on Dope interviews, right,
so I need to know, point blank, you know, what's
the dopest meal you've ever made.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
I'm a piece of head, and I, like I afraid
us in high school only stuff to that. I didn't
try to like Deba and try to do some of
these big gremet meals and whatnot. I stayed kept a
simple I just needed something on my stomach. I just
needed something on my stodach Man. But nah, Actually, what
she was about to.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Say, I said, No, I ain't mad at that at all.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Brother, I can't. I can't.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
I'm not.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
Now.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
What I was about to say was when I was
in high school, I realized that other people was taking
it more serious than me. So that really had me
thinking about it. When I was thinking about that, like
how many sheeps are there? You know, people with restaurants,
like I even saw you interview a guy what was
his name, Stephen with the Golden Crush. You know, they
have restaurants and brands that they're just trying to get
(13:40):
out to the world.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
You know what I'm saying, Oh yeah, Stephen Clark.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Yeah yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
So just thinking about how we can unite, you know,
the culinary world under one rim or one roof is
what that's all I'm thinking about, like your help growing
the app, you know, like how can I get everything
gonna do one roof so we can just read it
and just looking at people who really take cutting every series,
(14:06):
like they don't really have a platform to show what
they really can do, Like they have to put it
on Instagram, they have to put it on Facebook, and
then you know people not really trying to stay watch it,
but you know they're not on Facebook per.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Se for that.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
You know, they're looking for everything post what's being shared
around things of that nature, and like just reading different things.
So it's like, okay, they need to help you guys
get your brand down there. How can we help get
all everything that you got with your culinary or your
food truck, your business, your small stores and just put
(14:43):
it on one aspect, you know, one brand.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Just get it up with it.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
So last couple ones before you let you fly out
of here.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Brother, And you know, I definitely again thank you so
much for taking the time. Cook cooking and food and
more and more pointantly can be a unifier and I
think you've been indicating that as much. You know, through
the app, it's going to connect people with different cultures
and you know, different types of food and different types
of people. Have you yourself experienced that, you know, that
(15:17):
kind of craze or bond if you will. Have you
ever bonded with somebody over food or something that you
didn't think you'd even like and now all of a sudden,
you know you and now your new friend, or eating
Indian food or something like that. Do you have any
experiences like that, because I think this app is going
to bring people together in that way.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I haven't tried there food, but I do have one
of my assistants that I've been working with for you know,
four or five years.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
She's Filipinos.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
So I see the food that they eat and.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
It just looked interesting, you know, I just watch it.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
But like things that I have tried that I typically
don't eat, I'm going and say the vegan food, you know,
like I don't really mess with vegan, but my best
friend is vegan, so he always being like, man, let's
try this, let's try that. And that's the only type
of different type of food that I like stepped out
on and try so but vegan with you know, just
(16:17):
stepping out of course, I eat like Indian tame food
BATCHI you know, Chinese food of course, but like on
a different level.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
The vegan world is different from me.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
So that's like totally different from how we operate normally.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
I hear you on that. I hear you on that.
My wife is, uh, she's not full vegan, but she
likes to try some stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Here and there. And I'm like, nah, you got it,
that's all you.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I'm a past, I'm a past. Yeah, I'm cool. I'm cool.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Looking ahead, my guy, Nor, tell me a little bit
more about, you know, any aspects of the app that
you're looking to enhance, looking to kind of bring into
the fold, anybody else you'd want to collaborate with, you know,
to give the app a little bit more exposure, just
you know, kind of what are the next steps there too,
if you're able to utilize your network and as this
(17:09):
thing continues to get a little bit older and people
get more exposed to what's going on with it.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
Long term for the app, I would like to have
food delivery service like Uber, and then I would love
to have like all the major franchises that that's under
the grocery industry promoting the ads on my app, Like,
you know, all the deals supposedly. I don't know what
you're from South Florida, right, are you guys? You guys
good out there? Did you ever get hit?
Speaker 5 (17:38):
I'm sorry? Or is everything?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Oh no, no, yeah, thank you for asking. I'm we
we we got very very lucky here in the South
Florida area. Went to the north of US. But yeah,
we we are. We are solid.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
No, no, not just make sure. I was thinking about that.
So I'm glad that you're doing well. But here in
our grocery stores, I'm pretty sure yours as well. Like
you go in and if you want to see what
was on sale, you had to pick up the paper,
you know, But everything is like virtual now on digital,
so I'm trying to just have it on the apps.
So whenever you near a store, it pops up. Let
(18:11):
you know that you are at these jewels. What's one
of you guys as stores in the South. What's the
name of one of those stores?
Speaker 5 (18:18):
I can't think of publics?
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, public, that's the one agreeing in public. Yeah, Like
if you put them up to a public you'll be
able to see all the ads and things that are
on sale from there, Like it should just be able
to pop up and you can grow grocery stoping and
seeing what items are on. Like I care about having
the grocery stores, all the restaurants. I would like to
(18:41):
have one there where food critics leaving reviews of course,
and whatnot about these restaurants in different states and the
whole column where if you were in like South Florida
or Chicago or what you can see what restaurants are
the best restaurants to go eat at just from the app,
from every right, you're recommending what you can do.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
So that's long term.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
What I have going on for the app uber the
grocery stores and just know where to eat at when
you are in that place a country like I plan
on taking this everywhere.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I have no doubt that you're going to be successful.
And you know, you kind of struck gold here a
little bit too. I think even in just your humanitarian way,
even asking me about if I'm good, you know, with
all the hurricanes and tropical storms that have been our way.
But after a storm, right, the app can be utilized
for people to say, rabll what is around me? If
restaurants and grocery stores you know, have been impacted. I
(19:38):
think that's another way that app can be utilized as
a form of community, but also as a form of help,
you know, to to others as well too. So there's
a lot of value to what you're doing, man, and
I want to I would encourage you to keep doing
what you're doing because you know you'll be blessed that
you're continue to bless out this brother. I really do
appreciate the time here and dope interviews.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah, I appreciate you. Thanks for having me for sure.
Well and hopefully this was a dope interview for you.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Oh man, you just stole a whole tag line. Stole
the whole tag line. But as he said, Man, I'm
Warren Shaw. He is Nard Live Free. Make sure you
follow him at Nard Underscore Live Free. Make sure you
get with a cook like Me app that's coe ok.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
L k e M.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Available on Apple and your Google Play Store as well too.
And you know what it is. Fam has been another
dope interview. But my guy Nard and we're.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Out please together, we stand the vile. We never the
vision is won, striving for the better, working as a team,
working toward a dream. It's not even work when the
team is the dream. When he's not in front. We
got a home the back, a band of brothers, the
count wrapped in he attack one hard in the fact,
forget what the blood say. Dope is what flows in
(20:49):
his fan's DNA. So let's do it for the love,
give to the Max. Listen to an opinion, but react
to facts and remember that together with a shit, but
separate just pieces of it. Shooting dope. It's worth closing
his Stam's DNA. Dope, It's worth closing his Stam's DNA.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
Family represent like a tree with names on it. We're free,
no change on it. Believe the pain's gone. I can
see we come together like questions on the quiz Mota
flowing viz man, you know what it is and if
ignorance is blisity, gonna hate this lesson organized in the
like a tropical depression. My simple list across some mic
and ghost peppers. Because I'm just a black shoe growing
up to be a shepherd, moon lighting as a weapon
(21:37):
to protect the children. Every brother is a father. Dynasties.
We're building Max J and k Babay and Isai next
level of the family foundation.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Understand me
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com