Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Entrepreneurs tell us their inspiring stories, learn about products that
could make both you and your child's life easier and
more fun, and of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh
about what's happening in their child's world. Motherhood is a journey.
Thanks for joining me onmine. Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson, and I'm really excited about our first guest
(00:33):
because this is an amazing woman and we've actually been
neighbors for many years. But it's so funny that when
your neighbor's with somebody and you don't really know what
they do. And then we started talking recently and Dina
Barron was telling me.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
That she just wrote a book.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
It's called The Way Within, and she also has a
very interesting background and what she's doing now, I think
is something that is of interest to so many people,
and so I'm really excited to have her on the
show with me today.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Hi Dina, Hi, Michelle.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
I So you wrote this book called the Way Within.
Tell me what it's about and what inspired you to
write it?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Okay, Well, The Way Within honestly is part personal story,
part spiritual toolbox. It's about waking up that voice, that
voice that's within you that maybe has fallen asleep, and
you know, it's kind of like waking it up again
and learning how to trust it. So writing it was
like opening the door to myself and realizing that I
(01:34):
had had the key all along. So I wrote this
book because I wish that I had had it when
I was trying to figure out who I was beneath
all of the roles that I played, whether that be mom, wife, people, pleaser, perfectionist, overthinker,
in chief, you know, all the things.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
It's the book I wanted.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
What do you hope that we can take away from it?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Honestly?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Like, so, this book is for the woman who looks
like she has it all together, but inside she's tired
of shrinking herself to fit other people's expectations. So it's
for anyone who feels lost in their spark, their clarity,
and in finding their way. I want readers to walk
away feeling less alone, more seen, and with actual tools
(02:18):
like taro numerology and charm reading to reconnect with their
inner wisdom because of your intuition. It's not lost, it's
just been waiting for an invitation.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And I think you're right, you know, especially when we
have kids.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I had always heard this before becoming a mom, and
now I truly understand that you get so involved with
their lives and you obviously want the best for them,
and all your energies go into them, and then it's
like we kind of maybe aren't doing what we still
love to do all the time, whether that's personally, professionally,
whatever it is. So, how can these tools that you
just mentioned, like Tara, numerology, astrology, how can they help
(02:56):
us reconnect with our intuition?
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Great question.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So all of these tools, I want you to think
of them like mirrors. They don't tell you who you
should be. They show you what's already inside beneath all
of the noise. So Taro is in fortune telling, it's
soul telling. Numerology reveals patterns and timing, and charms they're
(03:22):
like little story clues from your subconscious. So together they
help you make sense of your experiences and your choices.
They get you unstuck by shifting the conversation from what's
wrong with me to what's true for me.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So if somebody is seeking this out and they said, Okay,
I have been stuck. I need somebody to help me,
what would be their first steps.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Well, it depends do they want to do this alone,
if they want to try to figure this out by
themselves and do the reconnectioning like or the beginning of
the reconnecting, I would say, buy my book. And also, Michelle,
I have a little secret that literally today.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I wrote a journal.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I created a journal with charms because charms are like
the easiest entry because all they are are symbols. And
this journal that I created, which is live on Amazon,
I'll give you the link as of like today. Seriously,
it's a fifteen week journal and every week I pick
a charm, which is like a symbol. So it could
(04:28):
be a tree, it could be you know, a shovel,
It could be a spoon, like it could be literally
it could be a ferris wheel, anything in the world.
But we all have a relationship with different symbols in
our lives.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
And along with the symbol.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Which I will define in the journal, I also have
about four or five questions to kind of help dig
in and help you kind of make sense of what
it is that maybe you're going through right now in
relation to whatever that item is like. For example, if
it was a tree, A tree can be about feeling rooted,
(05:05):
and the questions might be around, well, where are you
feeling like what makes you feel rooted right now? Or
maybe what has made you feel rooted in the past
but is no longer serving you in the way that
it used to. It's kind of a way to kind
of get you thinking. So you could either a choose
a path that is your own and do the work
by yourself. I also have charm kits or I mean
(05:27):
I have a lot of different ways that I work,
and I have a free newsletter that I offer. So
not everything is going to be requiring a financial investment,
but I would say do something that makes you feel
ease in your life, and that could be literally just
taking your AirPods out and going for a walk instead
(05:48):
of with a podcast or a YouTube video in your ear,
just enjoying the sounds of nature. I feel as though
there's so much going into our ears that we don't
have any space.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
To be yes.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
That is such a good point, because you know, you
and I we live in the big city, and I
don't realize everything that you just said until I'm out
of the city. And there was one morning that I
just said goodbye to everyone, and I took myself kayaking
and and it was just such a nice difference. And
you don't realize it until you switch that energy. And
(06:22):
so I hear what you're saying, and I love what
you're doing as a coach to help guide people as well.
So tell me about your personal journey as a reader
and a coach and how you started this and how
it evolved and now how we can benefit from getting
in touch with you.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Well, my early journey began when I was about eight
years old and my grandmother introduced me to astrology. So
everybody has their entry point, and mine was maybe quite
young and unusual, but it got me curious just about
how the world work. And also, like I feel as
(07:01):
though I am so interested on what is going on
beneath that perfect, shiny picture that we show the world,
So my grandmother kind of opened the door to it.
I've been studying taro for about twenty five years. I
see myself as a perpetual student. I literally am always
involved in a class, always have my nose in a book.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
I am always.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Interested in learning, and so I took a tarot class.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
I found a tarot class in the city.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
I went to that class every Monday night for eight years.
Literally I was never free on Monday night. And I
just wanted to know more. And I felt it was
funny because when I first started doing it, I only
wanted just to know it. And I remember I started
dating my husband, and my husband works in finance, and
(07:52):
he always was like, you know, he's always.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
About how can we make money doing this?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
He said to me one night after I had come
home from one of my classes, to me, let me
ask you. He said, can you like do this? And
I said do what he said, like give a reading?
Can you like use this to, you know, to do
something for someone else, maybe give them information? And I
said yes absolutely, and he said why don't you And
I said, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
It never really occurred to me.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
It was just like I wanted to just know it,
and he was the one that encouraged me. And there
was a tea salon downtown, like on twenty second Street
called the Letter T Salon, And what I did is.
I went there and I just introduced myself to the
owner and I said, hey, would you like to have
a Tarror reader?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
And she said to me. You know what, she said,
come in on Saturday and when people come in.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I'll just point you out and say, hey, while you're
having tea, if you want to get a Tarror reading,
you know, you can call our.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
Reader over to the table.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
And then she said to me, you know, I could
charge whatever I wanted it and then I would just
give her a percentage and I would go home with
like four to five hundred dollars in my pocket on
a Saturday. And my husband was like, that's what I'm
talking about, so kind of that's where it all started.
And I would say that in like I would say,
twenty eighteen, I felt like I wanted there to be more.
(09:14):
So I decided to go back and get a coaching certificate.
I became a certified life coach. I am now a
coactive life coach. I'm certified as a co Active Life coach,
and I'm also a PCC, which is through the International
Coaching Federation. I'm a professional Certified coach, which means that
I've coached about two thousand hours worth of clients, and
(09:34):
I've done a lot of continuing education just to keep
on top of everything. And then what I've done is
I combined my coaching skills with my tarot, astrology, numerology
and charms and together we're seeing that commercial for Reese's
where like somebody walking down the street with a chocolate
bar and someone's walking down the street with peanut butter
(09:55):
and they bump into each other and it's like, Ooh,
your chocolate got into my peanut butter. You're I've never
got into my chocolate, and it's like, ooh, this is delicious.
So I feel as though taro and astrology and all
the divination stuff is amazing.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
It's the chocolate.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
It can be by itself, and peanut butter is pretty
awesome by itself too, just coaching, but together. I mean,
if you've ever had a Reese's peanut butter cup. Yes,
I don't need to say anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Absolutely, I love your journey, I love hearing about it,
and I actually want to talk with you one more
segment if you don't mind, because I think the work
that you're doing can also really help women who are
stuck with the perfectionism, with the people pleasing, the self doubt,
everything that you alluded to at the beginning of the interview.
So tell me really quickly, where can we go to
(10:42):
get your book, The Way Within.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
It's on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
You can google my name Dina Baron, or you can
just put in the Way Within Dina Baron and it
comes up. And as of today, you'll also be able
to see my journal if you put in my name,
and if you can go to my website, which is
my name. Also, I sell my charm kits on there,
and you can follow me on Instagram and you can
direct message me from there.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
I'm on YouTube. Everything is under my name.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Well, we're going to talk a little bit more coming up.
I'm Michelle Jerson the Passport Mommy. More coming up in
a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson
and we're speaking with Dina Barron. She is the author
of The Way Within. She uses taro, numerology, astrology and
charms to help people reconnect with their intuition, their authentic self.
(11:28):
And we have touched last segment on the fact that
a lot of women are second the perfectionism, the people pleasing,
They have self doubt and this can all help shift that.
So tell me, Dina, how does what you do help
us get out of that?
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Okay, well, first of all, I want to start with
that people women Women often become stuck in perfectionism, people pleasing,
and self doubt due to deep rooted patterns that once
felt protective but now hinder them from living fully. So
can we talk a little bit about what keeps women stuck?
First of all, they're seeking approval and they want they
(12:05):
want to feel worthy. So women who people please tend
to find their value through other opinions they value. They
fear conflict because they say yes too much, and they
ignore their own needs to feel accepted, so they see
perfectionism as safety. So perfectionism usually is unachievable in its standards,
(12:25):
and what.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
It is is their fear of trying.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
To be accepted, and they have this anxiety and their
self criticism that turns inside because even though they're trying
to be perfect, nothing ever feels good enough. And then
there's the self doubt, which is sometimes tied to imposter syndrome,
and even with success, many feel like frauds. Self doubt
often manifests as a procrastination over preparing or underestimating your abilities.
(12:54):
So how to work with them to help them shift
this First of all, I want first of all, my
work is gentle and transformative. I'm not looking to beat
it out of anybody. I am looking to build self
compassion over criticism. Like I'm always telling women, give yourself grace,
be kind, give yourself a little bit of extra rope.
I want to teach women practices of self compassion and
(13:17):
help them treat themselves with kindness instead of harsh judgment.
I mean, we all and you can probably agree with
this to Michelle, we all have that mean voice in
our head that goes negative on us and speaks really
poorly to us, of course, saying things we would.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Never ever say to anyone else.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
The second thing is I want to add mindfulness and
awareness practices.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
So I bring tools to.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Help you notice when you're slipping into people pleasing or
perfectionist habits.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
So and these habits cause.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
You to become more aware, so you can make different choices,
and then you can reframe.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
That's the third thing.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Reframe your self worth so you don't need external validation,
you can give it to yourself. And all of this
is taking small brave steps, like I'm not expecting major
change overnight, but we're looking to deepen the trust and
overcome these small challenges that we feel are like these
(14:13):
huge boulders in our road. So all we're trying to
do is to help break down this self doubt and
build up evidence of capability of you being able to
do it well. And as we do this, we create boundaries,
and by boundaries we connect with our authenticity, learning to
say no, honoring our need without guilt, and bringing balance
(14:36):
which will reduce burnout and strengthen trust in yourself. So ultimately,
I'm looking to root out whatever is not working and
to kind of like I feel like I'm going to
unknit the sweater and then we're going to reknit it
so it is a fashion and style.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
That works for you and fit that works for you.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yes, I love it, and I bet this also helps
women who are having issues with, say, making an important decision.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
And then because I know that we get stuck on
a lot too, because we.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Do want that perfectionism. We want to know that our
decision is going to work out.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yes I have I actually have a little trick that
I have for decision making and I have this. It's
like a three step, like each of these three things
must be a yes if they are going to say
yes to something, and if any of these three steps
is a no, then they have to say no because
(15:32):
clearly it isn't a full body yes. So actually, if
anybody wants to reach out to me and find out more,
I will share them.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
I will share with them my three step to the
to the yes.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
And it's it's it's funny because so many people that
I talk to after I share this with them, they're like,
oh my god, you do not know how many times
I have said yes and not meant it right? And like,
how much of your time have you waste did doing
stuff for other people when you could be giving yourself
like that spaciousness, that peace, that calmness, like that you
(16:08):
were saying in the beginning that you feel when you
leave the city, right, And we don't prioritize ourselves. We
always think we have to say yes to other people.
And I always tell clients and you can do this
as well. When someone asks you to do something, before
you say yes, ask yourself, how is this serving me right?
Speaker 4 (16:29):
Is this making me crazy?
Speaker 3 (16:30):
And adding another thing to my list, or is this
actually something that I want to do, that I'm invested in,
or that can you help me grow or learn or know,
expand or create abundance in my life in some way.
You don't have to say yes to people just because
they asked.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I love it, Dina Baron.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Thank you so much for joining me today on Passport
Mommy again. Tell me where we can go to get
your book and to get in touch with you.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
If we would like to work with you.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
You can get my book on Amazon. Just put my
name in the search. Dina Baron. There are two books.
One's a journal, one's my book, The Way Within, And
if you want to find me, go to www dot
Dina Baron dot com or I'm on Instagram as Diana
Baron as well.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I cannot wait to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Thank you for shedding light on topics that we all
love but probably have not really delve into in the past,
and so I'm excited to read your book, The Way Within.
It's been sitting on my shelf and you know, having
no time with kids, but that's no excuse because, like
you said, we need to make time for ourselves and
we need to get into that book. So again, it's
(17:37):
The Way Within by Dina Baron. Thank you so much
for joining me today. I'm Passport Mommy. Thank you you're
listening to Passport Mommy.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
And you know, sometimes you meet these people who you're
just so excited to have met and to have heard
their story. And it started last year I was looking
for a local pizza place where I could take in
order from from my son's birthday. I've always known about
Two Boots Pizza because when I was in my younger
days and hanging out in the village, I remember it
(18:07):
was a very popular place to visit.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And then I was very excited when I saw that.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
There was one that had arrived in my neighborhood on
the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and I went in
and I happened to have sat down with Phil Hartman,
the owner and the founder, and.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
He is such a unique person and has such a unique.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Story that I thought I would bring it to the air,
not just to make sure that you go visit Two
Boots when you are in New York City, because I
may be biased, but I think it has some of
the best pizza and also has some really unique pies,
which I absolutely love. But the person behind it is
a really great entrepreneur and I wanted to have him
on to tell the story. Hi Phil, thank you so
(18:47):
much for joining me today.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Hey, it's nice to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
My pleasure. So how did Two Boots get started?
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Well, Two Boots opened in nineteen eighty seven, so we're
approaching our thirty eighth anniversary next week. Actually, and I
was an indie filmmaker. I was actually working as a
screenwriter for Warner Brothers. Very frustrated with how they would
change my stuff. I was like the house weirdo. They
like to have one guy who wrote stuff that was different,
(19:18):
but they didn't necessarily want to make it into movies.
So I opened a small cage and joint with my
pal from high school, which was called the Great Jones Cafe,
so I wouldn't have to write for money anymore and
I could just support myself and do the kind of
art I wanted. The place was very successful. First cage
(19:39):
and restaurant introduced black and Fish to New York Oh wow,
and we made some money. My partner bought a house
in the Hampton's and I made an indie film. So
that film was called No Picnic and it was about
the East Village, which is where I lived and what
the place I loved. And the film got into Sundance,
(20:06):
but we didn't have enough money to finish the film.
So I was approached by somebody else open in another restaurant,
and I said, okay, I will help you get it
started and we'll get some money up front and we'll
finish our film. This was a film made by my
ex wife and I and we opened this restaurant with
him okay, our Cajun cocaine, with our love of pizza,
(20:29):
and that was two Boots. And the name came to
me one morning when I was a little bit hungover. Honestly,
I realized that everyone knows that Italy is shaped like
a boot, and it occurred to me, huh, Louisiana is
also shipped like a boot, like an old. That is
two Boots. We serve food from Italy and Louisiana got
(20:49):
the money, finished the film. It won an awarded Sundance
Best Cinematography, and the restaurant just took off and the
pizza became so popular that while I spent the next
thirty years debating should I make movies should I make pizza?
(21:13):
The reality is that I've now served over sixty million
slices of pizza.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Incredible.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Two films ratio is thirty million to one. But we've
actually integrated a lot of film related stuff into Two Boots,
and we also opened the Two Bits Movie Theater, so
I definitely have been able to continue my love of movies,
and I feel like Two Boots has brought a lot
(21:41):
of great stuff in the world, not just the flavor
of the pizza, but the unique physical spaces which are
art filled and also are deep, deep roots in all
of our communities. We are really active with the arts
community and nonprofit and we we run music festivals and
(22:02):
our festivals, and that I think is very very satisfying. Y.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
That is amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
That is truly I think everybody's dream who works in
the arts is to be able to find something that
they can do that is fun, that is not a
corporate job, and that allows the flexibility and allows them
to fund their true passion. So I think that is
a hugely wild success story. Congratulations, well, thank you.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Here's the twist that I shot that first film in
the summer of eighty five. It came out in eighty eight,
so it was released thirty seven years ago. It is
just con picked up by a distributor to be re released.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Oh wow, i'man I.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
Out again this year and we're going to shoot some
new footage for the Blu Ray into Boots. Several of
the stars of the film have pizza's name after them.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
Ya.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
So, Steve Buscemi's in the film. He gets run over
by he's a pimp. He gets run over by his
of his gals and gets killed. Anyway, there's a pizza
that's attribute to Steve's role in Reservoir Dogs, calling mister Pink.
There's another actor named Louis Guzman who's a wonderful character
actor in Hollywood from the East Village. We have the
(23:23):
pizza that celebrates him, called the Louis Saida. And these
guys are going to be, you know, celebrated when the
film comes out again.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Amazing. So where can we catch the film? Where will
it be showing?
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Well, I can't say yet, but I've just done some
the news. It's going to open here in the city
and then we'll play and I don't know, maybe twenty
five or thirty cities around the country, probably like a
one night only thing. Okay, I will be there and
we can talk pizza, we can talk movies or anything
else you'd like.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Oh, terrific.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
So, and you mentioned how each of your locations really
is decked out in the arts scene, and you can
feel that right away you walk in. So you feel
like when you're going to eat at Two Boots that
it's an experience. It's not just going to grab a slice.
So let's talk about the experience. Let's talk about the
pizza part of the experience and then the art part
of the experience, because the pizza is an experience too.
(24:16):
You offer some wonderful vegan pizzas. I feel like you
offer unique pizza flavor and unique pizzas that have ingredients
that you don't find at other pizza shops, and really
anybody can eat there.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
You have gluten free as well. Tell me about the varieties.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Yeah, so, as I say, we have integrated a bunch
of Cajun ingredients into our pizzas. So you can get
barbecue shrimp and crawfish, and and dewey sausage and tasso
which is a cage and ham. We've got a very
popular pardut called the Buy You Beast, which celebrates our
Cajun roots. But one of the most unique things about
(24:54):
a pizza is that we use corn meal instead of
white flour, so the crust has a nutty crunch to it,
very very distinctive, and it's got kind of like a
cult following. It's differ any other pizza you get in
New York. It's like a cousin of pizza in New Haven, Connecticut,
which for pizza lovers is kind of mecca. So we've
(25:17):
drawn from all these different inspirations. We also have created
a whole bunch of pestos that we use on our paus.
They're all homemade. We like have a spicy kale pesto.
On the upper west side, we have a Calabian red
pepper pesto. So these there are six of them. So
not only did they taste great, but they look beautiful
(25:37):
because we kind of like paint the pizzas with them.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yes, yes, they really do.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And I remember at the both parties last year and
this year the comments that I got from other parents
the pizzas are the head of the party, like, oh
where to get this from?
Speaker 5 (25:52):
Mom?
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Us so great. So if you're looking to impress.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Two Boots is where you go and then you know
at your different location, so your Upper Side location, you
recently moved to a new spot.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Right, Yeah, we had been on the Upper West Side
for about ten years. Then we were closed and reopened
on seventy first in Columbus, which is a huge improvement
from where we were before, and honestly, it's the nicest
neighborhood we've ever been in. But Two Boots traditionally goes
into like marginal areas where there's like a burgeoning arts community.
(26:27):
We like to get in early as opposed to lead,
and you know, we've been in some pretty rough spots,
which we feel like, you know, it is part of
the vibe of Two Boots because it's artsy and we're
drawing from like the pioneering folks in the community. Right
(26:50):
this case, we're into a super nice and already well
developed area and we're really proud to have taken over
a pizzeri that was there forty years and had a
lot of tradition in the neighborhood and so we we're
building on that. We've been there a year and a half.
The neighborhood has been amazing and every two Boots location
(27:14):
has what we call a home pie that no other
location has, and we try to celebrate a local institution
or local ingredients. So in this case, we created a
pie called the Anita, which is celebrating a character from
Westside Story. So West Side Story is about the neighborhood
right adjacent to where Pizzeri is, which was, as we know,
(27:36):
was wiped out. And Anita was the fiery Latina lady
and who sings the song America is in the show
and in the movie. So we have a pie called
the Anita in her honor, and it's got Creole chicken
on it and spicy kale pesto. Really very popular. But
(27:58):
every branch of Two Booths has its own unique pizza, right,
and every two Boots is totally handmade. So we've got
mosaic artists and mirroralists and sculptures and boot painters, and
we bring them in each time we build a store,
and we try to create something, you know, utterly unique
that reflects the neighborhood. So on the Upper west Side,
(28:21):
you have been in there, you might not know what
those giant paintings are, but I love African barber art,
so I commissioned an artist to create celebrations of the
Two Boots slices, riffing on African barber art. So in Africa,
especially in West Africa, the barber shops will have paintings
outside their stores showing off their different styles. Okay, we
(28:44):
took our two Boots characters like Cleopatra Jones and Tony
Clifton and Divine and gave them crazy hairdoos. And there
are there are barber supplies in ther in the huge
painted murals. So come by, look at the art, have
the amazing Anita pizza. And we've got actually a really
(29:05):
nice little outdoor dining area on the Upper west Side too.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, which is great especially on nights like this when
it's not too hot.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
It's beautiful out.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
That's the one thing I love about the Upper west
Side is outside dining. And it's really such a great
day place because like you said, come look at the art.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Come have some pizza.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Really great place and essentially located if you're going to
a show at the Beacon or whatever you're doing for
a night.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Or Strawberry Fields is right around the corner. We've got
some beautiful art celebrating Yoko and John in the store also,
and we just added beer and wine, so you can
come in for you can get a Cajun beer from
a beta, or you can get a medello or a
delightful can of wine. And we are open late now
(29:48):
till two am on the weekends, which has been really
interesting because there's no place open that late anymore post COVID,
and we're really trying to get people back out into
the store and bring a little little late night life
to the neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Oh that's great, And so where are your other locations
and where can we go online if we want to
just remind ourselves when we're heading out where you're located.
Speaker 5 (30:11):
Well, tuboots dot com is pretty amazing website. There's backstories
to every pizza, so every pizza has got a name
and has a story behind it. And the locations there
are seven right now, the Upper west Side, the Upper
east Side, the East Village, in the West Village, and
then we've got locations outside Manhattan Park Slope in Jersey
(30:34):
City and down in Nashville, Tennessee. And the National Store
is really amazing. It's been there for ten years. Over
ten years. Our partner down there did just a fantastic job.
It really has an amazing southern and music related feel
to it. So if you're down in Nashville, which is
a place you all.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Should check out my favorite city outside.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Yeah, and are you in Nashville?
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Are you on the strip there? We'res Where are you
located down?
Speaker 6 (31:04):
We're on Broadway, Downtown Broadway, but we're between downtown and Vanderbilt,
so it's a great spot. And the home pi there
is called the Kitty, named after Kitty Wells, a pioneering
female country singer. And it's got Nashville Hot Chicken on it.
Oh wow, it's really really amazing.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
We serve pickles on its side to cool off your
Paletteah hot chicken.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Oh wow, I love it. It's a true experience really,
Phil Hartman, thank you so much for joining me today
on Passport Mommy. I really appreciate everything that we've done together.
Love the pizza, love the story behind it, Love what
you're doing for the arts. Where can we go if
we want to check out any kind of music festivals
or arts festivals that you're working on.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Do you list those on the website?
Speaker 5 (31:49):
Yeah, we do, and we post on Instagram. Not as
much maybe as we should, but we'll try to get
a little better about that. But we always have special
events going on. This weekend, we are celebrating a band
that's plug at Foresseills Stadium and creating a special pie
for them. We do jazz concerts out on Columbus Avenue
(32:09):
as part of Open Streets. There's always something going on,
So check out our website, sign up to our Instagram,
or just drop by the store and say hi to me.
I'd love to see you. I'm usually wearing a pretty
colorful head.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Yes, I remember, and I see it now. Well, thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I'm Michelle Jeferson. The Passport Mommy more coming up in
a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
So you know, most people would probably agree that having
a dog charge at them and bite them is a
frightening experience.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Where I live right now, there's.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Actually been some uproar because there has been a dog
that has done this to unfortunately a couple of other dogs,
but let alone also a human or maybe your own
child as well. It is very scary. So imagine that
you're also a USPS worker and you're doing your job
every day and you're delivering people's mail and you're working hard,
(33:02):
and then you go to deliver mail to some bey
on your route and they have a dog who lunches
at you. We as people with the dogs, dog owners,
we need to be responsible. And so I'm really happy
to have with me on the show today Elizabeth Adams.
She is the USPS Occupational Safety and Health Safety Awareness Specialist,
and she's going to give us tips on how we
(33:24):
can help protect those who are helping us.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Hi, Elizabeth, Hi, Michelle. So our dogs biting postal workers?
Is it folklore or is it a real problem?
Speaker 7 (33:36):
So it might sound like folklore, but it's actually a
real and ongoing safety issue for our mail carriers out there,
you know, like you said, we're out there every day
delivering in multiploys, and it is it is a real
problem for us. We had over six thousand of our
employees have dog incidents in twenty twenty four and that
(33:57):
ended up being about sixteen per day.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
And so tell me the technology that the Postal Service
is using to protect its workers.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
Absolutely, so to help protect our employees. Technology supports that
carrier safety in two ways, you know. The first, we
have our handheld scanners that are used by our carriers.
You may see your carrier with one. They use that
to confirm customer delivery and it includes a feature to
indicate the presence of a dog at an address, so
(34:29):
as that carrier is approaching that address, they get an
alert on their delivery device. And so it's really giving
that twofold that digital service while also helping that carrier
with safe operations. The other that we have is actually
customer based and we have what's called USPS and formed Delivery,
and that's a service that customers can sign up for
(34:51):
to alert them of mail and packages coming to their home.
And what that would help a dog owner with is
allow them time to plan for the carrier's arrival so
that they can you know, secure their dog safely.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
Oh that's great. I love that.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
And so is dog biting a serious problem? Would you
say for the general population, not just postal carriers?
Speaker 7 (35:12):
It is? That's a great question. And you know, we
have a million over a million dog bites each year
and so are but like we said, in twenty twenty
four we had six thous over six thousand, and it
is a serious problem.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yeah, and I think you know, it's something that we're all.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
You know, I mentioned before there's something going on in
our neighborhood where there's a couple of dogs who are
are biting, and you know, do you have any tips
for listeners, especially dog owners, you know, so that we
can also because as a dog owner, you don't want
your puppy to bite anybody, and so what can we do?
Speaker 7 (35:51):
Definitely, and we really count on our customers in this effort,
you know, with this outreach, it is that collaborative effort.
So you know, when we're on the property, dogs may
perceive it could be as simple as they're perceiving that
mail carrier as an intruder, you know, invading their space,
and at the end of the day, they're just trying
to protect their territory. But there are but a dog
(36:11):
can bite for any number of reasons. So the best
way to keep safe from dog bites and attacks is
you know, we always want to recognize and promote that
responsible pet ownership piece right such as you know, teach
your dog appropriate behavior and commands. You know, don't allow
you know, pardon me, allow your dog to be socialized,
(36:33):
but at the end of the day, don't allow your
dog to run freely to your point right, make sure
your dog is secure as we're out there. If a
carrier delivers mail or packages to your door, you know,
even place your dog in a separate room or secure
the area. We've seen dogs, you know, push through screen
doors and even jump through windows. So we really that's
(36:56):
the theme this year, you know, secure your dog, keep
deliveries on track.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Right.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Well, thank you so much for all of that great information,
wonderful tips. Where can we go for more information?
Speaker 7 (37:08):
Absolutely so. We have our website USPS dot com forward
slash Dog Bite Awareness. We also have a postal blog
about the campaign on our website USPS dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Great, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
I really appreciate you joining me today, Elizabeth Adams, thank
you very much, my pleasure.
Speaker 7 (37:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
We were talking with Phil Hartman earlier, the owner of
Two Boots Pizza, and if you are in New York City,
you must head to one of his shops because they
are featuring the special pride slice. It's called the Marsha
and it's available at all of the Two Boots locations.
Proceeds go to HMI, which supports LGBTQ youth. And I
just love what he does at all of his locations
(37:49):
and all of the organizations he supports.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
So head out now.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
The two boots over West Side open until two am
and also serving beer and wine.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
I'm Michelle Jerson. Thank you so much for joining me
on the show. Wonderful, wh
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Entrepreneurs tell us their inspiring stories, learn about products that
could make both you and your child's life easier and
more fun, and of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh
about what's happening in their child's world. Motherhood is a journey.
Thanks for joining me onmine. Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson, and I'm really excited about our first guest
(00:33):
because this is an amazing woman and we've actually been
neighbors for many years. But it's so funny that when
your neighbor's with somebody and you don't really know what
they do. And then we started talking recently and Dina
Barron was telling me.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
That she just wrote a book.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
It's called The Way Within, and she also has a
very interesting background and what she's doing now, I think
is something that is of interest to so many people,
and so I'm really excited to have her on the
show with me today.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Hi Dina, Hi, Michelle.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
I So you wrote this book called the Way Within.
Tell me what it's about and what inspired you to
write it?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Okay, Well, The Way Within honestly is part personal story,
part spiritual toolbox. It's about waking up that voice, that
voice that's within you that maybe has fallen asleep, and
you know, it's kind of like waking it up again
and learning how to trust it. So writing it was
like opening the door to myself and realizing that I
(01:34):
had had the key all along. So I wrote this
book because I wish that I had had it when
I was trying to figure out who I was beneath
all of the roles that I played, whether that be mom, wife, people, pleaser, perfectionist, overthinker,
in chief, you know, all the things.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
It's the book I wanted.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
What do you hope that we can take away from it?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Honestly?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Like, so, this book is for the woman who looks
like she has it all together, but inside she's tired
of shrinking herself to fit other people's expectations. So it's
for anyone who feels lost in their spark, their clarity,
and in finding their way. I want readers to walk
away feeling less alone, more seen, and with actual tools
(02:18):
like taro numerology and charm reading to reconnect with their
inner wisdom because of your intuition. It's not lost, it's
just been waiting for an invitation.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And I think you're right, you know, especially when we
have kids.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I had always heard this before becoming a mom, and
now I truly understand that you get so involved with
their lives and you obviously want the best for them,
and all your energies go into them, and then it's
like we kind of maybe aren't doing what we still
love to do all the time, whether that's personally, professionally,
whatever it is. So, how can these tools that you
just mentioned, like Tara, numerology, astrology, how can they help
(02:56):
us reconnect with our intuition?
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Great question.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So all of these tools, I want you to think
of them like mirrors. They don't tell you who you
should be. They show you what's already inside beneath all
of the noise. So Taro is in fortune telling, it's
soul telling. Numerology reveals patterns and timing, and charms they're
(03:22):
like little story clues from your subconscious. So together they
help you make sense of your experiences and your choices.
They get you unstuck by shifting the conversation from what's
wrong with me to what's true for me.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So if somebody is seeking this out and they said, Okay,
I have been stuck. I need somebody to help me,
what would be their first steps.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Well, it depends do they want to do this alone,
if they want to try to figure this out by
themselves and do the reconnectioning like or the beginning of
the reconnecting, I would say, buy my book. And also, Michelle,
I have a little secret that literally today.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I wrote a journal.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I created a journal with charms because charms are like
the easiest entry because all they are are symbols. And
this journal that I created, which is live on Amazon,
I'll give you the link as of like today. Seriously,
it's a fifteen week journal and every week I pick
a charm, which is like a symbol. So it could
(04:28):
be a tree, it could be you know, a shovel,
It could be a spoon, like it could be literally
it could be a ferris wheel, anything in the world.
But we all have a relationship with different symbols in
our lives.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
And along with the symbol.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Which I will define in the journal, I also have
about four or five questions to kind of help dig
in and help you kind of make sense of what
it is that maybe you're going through right now in
relation to whatever that item is like. For example, if
it was a tree, A tree can be about feeling rooted,
(05:05):
and the questions might be around, well, where are you
feeling like what makes you feel rooted right now? Or
maybe what has made you feel rooted in the past
but is no longer serving you in the way that
it used to. It's kind of a way to kind
of get you thinking. So you could either a choose
a path that is your own and do the work
by yourself. I also have charm kits or I mean
(05:27):
I have a lot of different ways that I work,
and I have a free newsletter that I offer. So
not everything is going to be requiring a financial investment,
but I would say do something that makes you feel
ease in your life, and that could be literally just
taking your AirPods out and going for a walk instead
(05:48):
of with a podcast or a YouTube video in your ear,
just enjoying the sounds of nature. I feel as though
there's so much going into our ears that we don't
have any space.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
To be yes.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
That is such a good point, because you know, you
and I we live in the big city, and I
don't realize everything that you just said until I'm out
of the city. And there was one morning that I
just said goodbye to everyone, and I took myself kayaking
and and it was just such a nice difference. And
you don't realize it until you switch that energy. And
(06:22):
so I hear what you're saying, and I love what
you're doing as a coach to help guide people as well.
So tell me about your personal journey as a reader
and a coach and how you started this and how
it evolved and now how we can benefit from getting
in touch with you.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Well, my early journey began when I was about eight
years old and my grandmother introduced me to astrology. So
everybody has their entry point, and mine was maybe quite
young and unusual, but it got me curious just about
how the world work. And also, like I feel as
(07:01):
though I am so interested on what is going on
beneath that perfect, shiny picture that we show the world,
So my grandmother kind of opened the door to it.
I've been studying taro for about twenty five years. I
see myself as a perpetual student. I literally am always
involved in a class, always have my nose in a book.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
I am always.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Interested in learning, and so I took a tarot class.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
I found a tarot class in the city.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
I went to that class every Monday night for eight years.
Literally I was never free on Monday night. And I
just wanted to know more. And I felt it was
funny because when I first started doing it, I only
wanted just to know it. And I remember I started
dating my husband, and my husband works in finance, and
(07:52):
he always was like, you know, he's always.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
About how can we make money doing this?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
He said to me one night after I had come
home from one of my classes, to me, let me
ask you. He said, can you like do this? And
I said do what he said, like give a reading?
Can you like use this to, you know, to do
something for someone else, maybe give them information? And I
said yes absolutely, and he said why don't you And
I said, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
It never really occurred to me.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
It was just like I wanted to just know it,
and he was the one that encouraged me. And there
was a tea salon downtown, like on twenty second Street
called the Letter T Salon, And what I did is.
I went there and I just introduced myself to the
owner and I said, hey, would you like to have
a Tarror reader?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
And she said to me. You know what, she said,
come in on Saturday and when people come in.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I'll just point you out and say, hey, while you're
having tea, if you want to get a Tarror reading,
you know, you can call our.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
Reader over to the table.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
And then she said to me, you know, I could
charge whatever I wanted it and then I would just
give her a percentage and I would go home with
like four to five hundred dollars in my pocket on
a Saturday. And my husband was like, that's what I'm
talking about, so kind of that's where it all started.
And I would say that in like I would say,
twenty eighteen, I felt like I wanted there to be more.
(09:14):
So I decided to go back and get a coaching certificate.
I became a certified life coach. I am now a
coactive life coach. I'm certified as a co Active Life coach,
and I'm also a PCC, which is through the International
Coaching Federation. I'm a professional Certified coach, which means that
I've coached about two thousand hours worth of clients, and
(09:34):
I've done a lot of continuing education just to keep
on top of everything. And then what I've done is
I combined my coaching skills with my tarot, astrology, numerology
and charms and together we're seeing that commercial for Reese's
where like somebody walking down the street with a chocolate
bar and someone's walking down the street with peanut butter
(09:55):
and they bump into each other and it's like, Ooh,
your chocolate got into my peanut butter. You're I've never
got into my chocolate, and it's like, ooh, this is delicious.
So I feel as though taro and astrology and all
the divination stuff is amazing.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
It's the chocolate.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
It can be by itself, and peanut butter is pretty
awesome by itself too, just coaching, but together. I mean,
if you've ever had a Reese's peanut butter cup. Yes,
I don't need to say anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Absolutely, I love your journey, I love hearing about it,
and I actually want to talk with you one more
segment if you don't mind, because I think the work
that you're doing can also really help women who are
stuck with the perfectionism, with the people pleasing, the self doubt,
everything that you alluded to at the beginning of the interview.
So tell me really quickly, where can we go to
(10:42):
get your book, The Way Within.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
It's on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
You can google my name Dina Baron, or you can
just put in the Way Within Dina Baron and it
comes up. And as of today, you'll also be able
to see my journal if you put in my name,
and if you can go to my website, which is
my name. Also, I sell my charm kits on there,
and you can follow me on Instagram and you can
direct message me from there.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
I'm on YouTube. Everything is under my name.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Well, we're going to talk a little bit more coming up.
I'm Michelle Jerson the Passport Mommy. More coming up in
a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson
and we're speaking with Dina Barron. She is the author
of The Way Within. She uses taro, numerology, astrology and
charms to help people reconnect with their intuition, their authentic self.
(11:28):
And we have touched last segment on the fact that
a lot of women are second the perfectionism, the people pleasing,
They have self doubt and this can all help shift that.
So tell me, Dina, how does what you do help
us get out of that?
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Okay, well, first of all, I want to start with
that people women Women often become stuck in perfectionism, people pleasing,
and self doubt due to deep rooted patterns that once
felt protective but now hinder them from living fully. So
can we talk a little bit about what keeps women stuck?
First of all, they're seeking approval and they want they
(12:05):
want to feel worthy. So women who people please tend
to find their value through other opinions they value. They
fear conflict because they say yes too much, and they
ignore their own needs to feel accepted, so they see
perfectionism as safety. So perfectionism usually is unachievable in its standards,
(12:25):
and what.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
It is is their fear of trying.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
To be accepted, and they have this anxiety and their
self criticism that turns inside because even though they're trying
to be perfect, nothing ever feels good enough. And then
there's the self doubt, which is sometimes tied to imposter syndrome,
and even with success, many feel like frauds. Self doubt
often manifests as a procrastination over preparing or underestimating your abilities.
(12:54):
So how to work with them to help them shift
this First of all, I want first of all, my
work is gentle and transformative. I'm not looking to beat
it out of anybody. I am looking to build self
compassion over criticism. Like I'm always telling women, give yourself grace,
be kind, give yourself a little bit of extra rope.
I want to teach women practices of self compassion and
(13:17):
help them treat themselves with kindness instead of harsh judgment.
I mean, we all and you can probably agree with
this to Michelle, we all have that mean voice in
our head that goes negative on us and speaks really
poorly to us, of course, saying things we would.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Never ever say to anyone else.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
The second thing is I want to add mindfulness and
awareness practices.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
So I bring tools to.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Help you notice when you're slipping into people pleasing or
perfectionist habits.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
So and these habits cause.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
You to become more aware, so you can make different choices,
and then you can reframe.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
That's the third thing.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Reframe your self worth so you don't need external validation,
you can give it to yourself. And all of this
is taking small brave steps, like I'm not expecting major
change overnight, but we're looking to deepen the trust and
overcome these small challenges that we feel are like these
(14:13):
huge boulders in our road. So all we're trying to
do is to help break down this self doubt and
build up evidence of capability of you being able to
do it well. And as we do this, we create boundaries,
and by boundaries we connect with our authenticity, learning to
say no, honoring our need without guilt, and bringing balance
(14:36):
which will reduce burnout and strengthen trust in yourself. So ultimately,
I'm looking to root out whatever is not working and
to kind of like I feel like I'm going to
unknit the sweater and then we're going to reknit it
so it is a fashion and style.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
That works for you and fit that works for you.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yes, I love it, and I bet this also helps
women who are having issues with, say, making an important decision.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
And then because I know that we get stuck on
a lot too, because we.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Do want that perfectionism. We want to know that our
decision is going to work out.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yes I have I actually have a little trick that
I have for decision making and I have this. It's
like a three step, like each of these three things
must be a yes if they are going to say
yes to something, and if any of these three steps
is a no, then they have to say no because
(15:32):
clearly it isn't a full body yes. So actually, if
anybody wants to reach out to me and find out more,
I will share them.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
I will share with them my three step to the
to the yes.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
And it's it's it's funny because so many people that
I talk to after I share this with them, they're like,
oh my god, you do not know how many times
I have said yes and not meant it right? And like,
how much of your time have you waste did doing
stuff for other people when you could be giving yourself
like that spaciousness, that peace, that calmness, like that you
(16:08):
were saying in the beginning that you feel when you
leave the city, right, And we don't prioritize ourselves. We
always think we have to say yes to other people.
And I always tell clients and you can do this
as well. When someone asks you to do something, before
you say yes, ask yourself, how is this serving me right?
Speaker 4 (16:29):
Is this making me crazy?
Speaker 3 (16:30):
And adding another thing to my list, or is this
actually something that I want to do, that I'm invested in,
or that can you help me grow or learn or know,
expand or create abundance in my life in some way.
You don't have to say yes to people just because
they asked.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
I love it, Dina Baron.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Thank you so much for joining me today on Passport
Mommy again. Tell me where we can go to get
your book and to get in touch with you.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
If we would like to work with you.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
You can get my book on Amazon. Just put my
name in the search. Dina Baron. There are two books.
One's a journal, one's my book, The Way Within, And
if you want to find me, go to www dot
Dina Baron dot com or I'm on Instagram as Diana
Baron as well.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I cannot wait to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Thank you for shedding light on topics that we all
love but probably have not really delve into in the past,
and so I'm excited to read your book, The Way Within.
It's been sitting on my shelf and you know, having
no time with kids, but that's no excuse because, like
you said, we need to make time for ourselves and
we need to get into that book. So again, it's
(17:37):
The Way Within by Dina Baron. Thank you so much
for joining me today. I'm Passport Mommy. Thank you you're
listening to Passport Mommy.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
And you know, sometimes you meet these people who you're
just so excited to have met and to have heard
their story. And it started last year I was looking
for a local pizza place where I could take in
order from from my son's birthday. I've always known about
Two Boots Pizza because when I was in my younger
days and hanging out in the village, I remember it
(18:07):
was a very popular place to visit.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And then I was very excited when I saw that.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
There was one that had arrived in my neighborhood on
the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and I went in
and I happened to have sat down with Phil Hartman,
the owner and the founder, and.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
He is such a unique person and has such a unique.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Story that I thought I would bring it to the air,
not just to make sure that you go visit Two
Boots when you are in New York City, because I
may be biased, but I think it has some of
the best pizza and also has some really unique pies,
which I absolutely love. But the person behind it is
a really great entrepreneur and I wanted to have him
on to tell the story. Hi Phil, thank you so
(18:47):
much for joining me today.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Hey, it's nice to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
My pleasure. So how did Two Boots get started?
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Well, Two Boots opened in nineteen eighty seven, so we're
approaching our thirty eighth anniversary next week. Actually, and I
was an indie filmmaker. I was actually working as a
screenwriter for Warner Brothers. Very frustrated with how they would
change my stuff. I was like the house weirdo. They
like to have one guy who wrote stuff that was different,
(19:18):
but they didn't necessarily want to make it into movies.
So I opened a small cage and joint with my
pal from high school, which was called the Great Jones Cafe,
so I wouldn't have to write for money anymore and
I could just support myself and do the kind of
art I wanted. The place was very successful. First cage
(19:39):
and restaurant introduced black and Fish to New York Oh wow,
and we made some money. My partner bought a house
in the Hampton's and I made an indie film. So
that film was called No Picnic and it was about
the East Village, which is where I lived and what
the place I loved. And the film got into Sundance,
(20:06):
but we didn't have enough money to finish the film.
So I was approached by somebody else open in another restaurant,
and I said, okay, I will help you get it
started and we'll get some money up front and we'll
finish our film. This was a film made by my
ex wife and I and we opened this restaurant with
him okay, our Cajun cocaine, with our love of pizza,
(20:29):
and that was two Boots. And the name came to
me one morning when I was a little bit hungover. Honestly,
I realized that everyone knows that Italy is shaped like
a boot, and it occurred to me, huh, Louisiana is
also shipped like a boot, like an old. That is
two Boots. We serve food from Italy and Louisiana got
(20:49):
the money, finished the film. It won an awarded Sundance
Best Cinematography, and the restaurant just took off and the
pizza became so popular that while I spent the next
thirty years debating should I make movies should I make pizza?
(21:13):
The reality is that I've now served over sixty million
slices of pizza.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Incredible.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Two films ratio is thirty million to one. But we've
actually integrated a lot of film related stuff into Two Boots,
and we also opened the Two Bits Movie Theater, so
I definitely have been able to continue my love of movies,
and I feel like Two Boots has brought a lot
(21:41):
of great stuff in the world, not just the flavor
of the pizza, but the unique physical spaces which are
art filled and also are deep, deep roots in all
of our communities. We are really active with the arts
community and nonprofit and we we run music festivals and
(22:02):
our festivals, and that I think is very very satisfying. Y.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
That is amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
That is truly I think everybody's dream who works in
the arts is to be able to find something that
they can do that is fun, that is not a
corporate job, and that allows the flexibility and allows them
to fund their true passion. So I think that is
a hugely wild success story. Congratulations, well, thank you.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Here's the twist that I shot that first film in
the summer of eighty five. It came out in eighty eight,
so it was released thirty seven years ago. It is
just con picked up by a distributor to be re released.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Oh wow, i'man I.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
Out again this year and we're going to shoot some
new footage for the Blu Ray into Boots. Several of
the stars of the film have pizza's name after them.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
Ya.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
So, Steve Buscemi's in the film. He gets run over
by he's a pimp. He gets run over by his
of his gals and gets killed. Anyway, there's a pizza
that's attribute to Steve's role in Reservoir Dogs, calling mister Pink.
There's another actor named Louis Guzman who's a wonderful character
actor in Hollywood from the East Village. We have the
(23:23):
pizza that celebrates him, called the Louis Saida. And these
guys are going to be, you know, celebrated when the
film comes out again.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Amazing. So where can we catch the film? Where will
it be showing?
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Well, I can't say yet, but I've just done some
the news. It's going to open here in the city
and then we'll play and I don't know, maybe twenty
five or thirty cities around the country, probably like a
one night only thing. Okay, I will be there and
we can talk pizza, we can talk movies or anything
else you'd like.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Oh, terrific.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
So, and you mentioned how each of your locations really
is decked out in the arts scene, and you can
feel that right away you walk in. So you feel
like when you're going to eat at Two Boots that
it's an experience. It's not just going to grab a slice.
So let's talk about the experience. Let's talk about the
pizza part of the experience and then the art part
of the experience, because the pizza is an experience too.
(24:16):
You offer some wonderful vegan pizzas. I feel like you
offer unique pizza flavor and unique pizzas that have ingredients
that you don't find at other pizza shops, and really
anybody can eat there.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
You have gluten free as well. Tell me about the varieties.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Yeah, so, as I say, we have integrated a bunch
of Cajun ingredients into our pizzas. So you can get
barbecue shrimp and crawfish, and and dewey sausage and tasso
which is a cage and ham. We've got a very
popular pardut called the Buy You Beast, which celebrates our
Cajun roots. But one of the most unique things about
(24:54):
a pizza is that we use corn meal instead of
white flour, so the crust has a nutty crunch to it,
very very distinctive, and it's got kind of like a
cult following. It's differ any other pizza you get in
New York. It's like a cousin of pizza in New Haven, Connecticut,
which for pizza lovers is kind of mecca. So we've
(25:17):
drawn from all these different inspirations. We also have created
a whole bunch of pestos that we use on our paus.
They're all homemade. We like have a spicy kale pesto.
On the upper west side, we have a Calabian red
pepper pesto. So these there are six of them. So
not only did they taste great, but they look beautiful
(25:37):
because we kind of like paint the pizzas with them.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yes, yes, they really do.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And I remember at the both parties last year and
this year the comments that I got from other parents
the pizzas are the head of the party, like, oh
where to get this from?
Speaker 5 (25:52):
Mom?
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Us so great. So if you're looking to impress.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Two Boots is where you go and then you know
at your different location, so your Upper Side location, you
recently moved to a new spot.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Right, Yeah, we had been on the Upper West Side
for about ten years. Then we were closed and reopened
on seventy first in Columbus, which is a huge improvement
from where we were before, and honestly, it's the nicest
neighborhood we've ever been in. But Two Boots traditionally goes
into like marginal areas where there's like a burgeoning arts community.
(26:27):
We like to get in early as opposed to lead,
and you know, we've been in some pretty rough spots,
which we feel like, you know, it is part of
the vibe of Two Boots because it's artsy and we're
drawing from like the pioneering folks in the community. Right
(26:50):
this case, we're into a super nice and already well
developed area and we're really proud to have taken over
a pizzeri that was there forty years and had a
lot of tradition in the neighborhood and so we we're
building on that. We've been there a year and a half.
The neighborhood has been amazing and every two Boots location
(27:14):
has what we call a home pie that no other
location has, and we try to celebrate a local institution
or local ingredients. So in this case, we created a
pie called the Anita, which is celebrating a character from
Westside Story. So West Side Story is about the neighborhood
right adjacent to where Pizzeri is, which was, as we know,
(27:36):
was wiped out. And Anita was the fiery Latina lady
and who sings the song America is in the show
and in the movie. So we have a pie called
the Anita in her honor, and it's got Creole chicken
on it and spicy kale pesto. Really very popular. But
(27:58):
every branch of Two Booths has its own unique pizza, right,
and every two Boots is totally handmade. So we've got
mosaic artists and mirroralists and sculptures and boot painters, and
we bring them in each time we build a store,
and we try to create something, you know, utterly unique
that reflects the neighborhood. So on the Upper west Side,
(28:21):
you have been in there, you might not know what
those giant paintings are, but I love African barber art,
so I commissioned an artist to create celebrations of the
Two Boots slices, riffing on African barber art. So in Africa,
especially in West Africa, the barber shops will have paintings
outside their stores showing off their different styles. Okay, we
(28:44):
took our two Boots characters like Cleopatra Jones and Tony
Clifton and Divine and gave them crazy hairdoos. And there
are there are barber supplies in ther in the huge
painted murals. So come by, look at the art, have
the amazing Anita pizza. And we've got actually a really
(29:05):
nice little outdoor dining area on the Upper west Side too.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, which is great especially on nights like this when
it's not too hot.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
It's beautiful out.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
That's the one thing I love about the Upper west
Side is outside dining. And it's really such a great
day place because like you said, come look at the art.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Come have some pizza.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Really great place and essentially located if you're going to
a show at the Beacon or whatever you're doing for
a night.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Or Strawberry Fields is right around the corner. We've got
some beautiful art celebrating Yoko and John in the store also,
and we just added beer and wine, so you can
come in for you can get a Cajun beer from
a beta, or you can get a medello or a
delightful can of wine. And we are open late now
(29:48):
till two am on the weekends, which has been really
interesting because there's no place open that late anymore post COVID,
and we're really trying to get people back out into
the store and bring a little little late night life
to the neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Oh that's great, And so where are your other locations
and where can we go online if we want to
just remind ourselves when we're heading out where you're located.
Speaker 5 (30:11):
Well, tuboots dot com is pretty amazing website. There's backstories
to every pizza, so every pizza has got a name
and has a story behind it. And the locations there
are seven right now, the Upper west Side, the Upper
east Side, the East Village, in the West Village, and
then we've got locations outside Manhattan Park Slope in Jersey
(30:34):
City and down in Nashville, Tennessee. And the National Store
is really amazing. It's been there for ten years. Over
ten years. Our partner down there did just a fantastic job.
It really has an amazing southern and music related feel
to it. So if you're down in Nashville, which is
a place you all.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Should check out my favorite city outside.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Yeah, and are you in Nashville?
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Are you on the strip there? We'res Where are you
located down?
Speaker 6 (31:04):
We're on Broadway, Downtown Broadway, but we're between downtown and Vanderbilt,
so it's a great spot. And the home pi there
is called the Kitty, named after Kitty Wells, a pioneering
female country singer. And it's got Nashville Hot Chicken on it.
Oh wow, it's really really amazing.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
We serve pickles on its side to cool off your
Paletteah hot chicken.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Oh wow, I love it. It's a true experience really,
Phil Hartman, thank you so much for joining me today
on Passport Mommy. I really appreciate everything that we've done together.
Love the pizza, love the story behind it, Love what
you're doing for the arts. Where can we go if
we want to check out any kind of music festivals
or arts festivals that you're working on.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Do you list those on the website?
Speaker 5 (31:49):
Yeah, we do, and we post on Instagram. Not as
much maybe as we should, but we'll try to get
a little better about that. But we always have special
events going on. This weekend, we are celebrating a band
that's plug at Foresseills Stadium and creating a special pie
for them. We do jazz concerts out on Columbus Avenue
(32:09):
as part of Open Streets. There's always something going on,
So check out our website, sign up to our Instagram,
or just drop by the store and say hi to me.
I'd love to see you. I'm usually wearing a pretty
colorful head.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Yes, I remember, and I see it now. Well, thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I'm Michelle Jeferson. The Passport Mommy more coming up in
a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
So you know, most people would probably agree that having
a dog charge at them and bite them is a
frightening experience.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Where I live right now, there's.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Actually been some uproar because there has been a dog
that has done this to unfortunately a couple of other dogs,
but let alone also a human or maybe your own
child as well. It is very scary. So imagine that
you're also a USPS worker and you're doing your job
every day and you're delivering people's mail and you're working hard,
(33:02):
and then you go to deliver mail to some bey
on your route and they have a dog who lunches
at you. We as people with the dogs, dog owners,
we need to be responsible. And so I'm really happy
to have with me on the show today Elizabeth Adams.
She is the USPS Occupational Safety and Health Safety Awareness Specialist,
and she's going to give us tips on how we
(33:24):
can help protect those who are helping us.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Hi, Elizabeth, Hi, Michelle. So our dogs biting postal workers?
Is it folklore or is it a real problem?
Speaker 7 (33:36):
So it might sound like folklore, but it's actually a
real and ongoing safety issue for our mail carriers out there,
you know, like you said, we're out there every day
delivering in multiploys, and it is it is a real
problem for us. We had over six thousand of our
employees have dog incidents in twenty twenty four and that
(33:57):
ended up being about sixteen per day.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
And so tell me the technology that the Postal Service
is using to protect its workers.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
Absolutely, so to help protect our employees. Technology supports that
carrier safety in two ways, you know. The first, we
have our handheld scanners that are used by our carriers.
You may see your carrier with one. They use that
to confirm customer delivery and it includes a feature to
indicate the presence of a dog at an address, so
(34:29):
as that carrier is approaching that address, they get an
alert on their delivery device. And so it's really giving
that twofold that digital service while also helping that carrier
with safe operations. The other that we have is actually
customer based and we have what's called USPS and formed Delivery,
and that's a service that customers can sign up for
(34:51):
to alert them of mail and packages coming to their home.
And what that would help a dog owner with is
allow them time to plan for the carrier's arrival so
that they can you know, secure their dog safely.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
Oh that's great. I love that.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
And so is dog biting a serious problem? Would you
say for the general population, not just postal carriers?
Speaker 7 (35:12):
It is? That's a great question. And you know, we
have a million over a million dog bites each year
and so are but like we said, in twenty twenty
four we had six thous over six thousand, and it
is a serious problem.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yeah, and I think you know, it's something that we're all.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
You know, I mentioned before there's something going on in
our neighborhood where there's a couple of dogs who are
are biting, and you know, do you have any tips
for listeners, especially dog owners, you know, so that we
can also because as a dog owner, you don't want
your puppy to bite anybody, and so what can we do?
Speaker 7 (35:51):
Definitely, and we really count on our customers in this effort,
you know, with this outreach, it is that collaborative effort.
So you know, when we're on the property, dogs may
perceive it could be as simple as they're perceiving that
mail carrier as an intruder, you know, invading their space,
and at the end of the day, they're just trying
to protect their territory. But there are but a dog
(36:11):
can bite for any number of reasons. So the best
way to keep safe from dog bites and attacks is
you know, we always want to recognize and promote that
responsible pet ownership piece right such as you know, teach
your dog appropriate behavior and commands. You know, don't allow
you know, pardon me, allow your dog to be socialized,
(36:33):
but at the end of the day, don't allow your
dog to run freely to your point right, make sure
your dog is secure as we're out there. If a
carrier delivers mail or packages to your door, you know,
even place your dog in a separate room or secure
the area. We've seen dogs, you know, push through screen
doors and even jump through windows. So we really that's
(36:56):
the theme this year, you know, secure your dog, keep
deliveries on track.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Right.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Well, thank you so much for all of that great information,
wonderful tips. Where can we go for more information?
Speaker 7 (37:08):
Absolutely so. We have our website USPS dot com forward
slash Dog Bite Awareness. We also have a postal blog
about the campaign on our website USPS dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Great, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
I really appreciate you joining me today, Elizabeth Adams, thank
you very much, my pleasure.
Speaker 7 (37:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
We were talking with Phil Hartman earlier, the owner of
Two Boots Pizza, and if you are in New York City,
you must head to one of his shops because they
are featuring the special pride slice. It's called the Marsha
and it's available at all of the Two Boots locations.
Proceeds go to HMI, which supports LGBTQ youth. And I
just love what he does at all of his locations
(37:49):
and all of the organizations he supports.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
So head out now.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
The two boots over West Side open until two am
and also serving beer and wine.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
I'm Michelle Jerson. Thank you so much for joining me
on the show. Wonderful, wh
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