Latest / Hey BigHead: The Vegas Local Podcast / Golden Steer, Food Awards, and Honest Reviews with LasVegasFill | 350

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Golden Steer, Food Awards, and Honest Reviews with LasVegasFill | 350 · Hey BigHead: The Vegas Local Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: There was one that really almost made me pee my pants.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_06: I see a big block of black on there.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_06: So I thought it was just because of the give it away.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_03: Redacted.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_06: Redacted.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_06: This is like the Epstein files.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_06: That's what this looks like.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, Julie.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_06: Today is a day to remember in the history of the Hey Big Head Show.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_06: Do you know why?
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, probably because we have quite a few good guests on today.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_06: We've had two heavy hitters today.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_06: We had Suzy Lee, Congresswoman Susie Lee.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_06: That went great.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_06: Um, it made me want to run for office now.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_06: How do you feel about that, Julie?
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if that's your best choice, but I will support you even though I might not vote for you.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_06: I'm literally paying you money and you don't want to vote for me.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_06: That's all right.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: You can't buy votes.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_06: You can't buy votes.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_06: All right, fine.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but more importantly now, we also have a dear friend of mine, one of the most respected and experienced influencers here in Las Vegas.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_06: Las Vegas Phil is here with us in studio.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_06: Phil, thank you so much for being here, man.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: What a setup it is here.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: Let me tell you the behind the scenes is very impressive.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I've never been in a studio quite this nice.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_06: That's what I that's what I wanted to hear.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_06: In fact, that's all we need.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_06: So, Julie, you could probably cut the video.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: That's the real.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, that's the awesome.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_06: Um, no, but Phil, uh, listen, you are are such a good dude.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_06: Even just outside of the influencer world, you know, I know you on a personal level, and you are an awesome guy.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_06: And I I really am thankful uh for for for you to be here.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but there is before we start talking about you, I want I I want to impress you because of how well accolated you are, how many accolades you have, and how much success you've had.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_06: I want to impress you, so uh I want to brag about a few things.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_06: One, I don't know if you noticed, you saw this when I walked in, but I happened to win my fantasy football league last year, and as of today, I got the belt that I get to hold on all season.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: Great.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_06: Uh, yeah, Julie's very impressed by this, I know.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: That is very impressive.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: You must say, one of the best uh fantasy football prizes I've seen in recent memory.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_06: You know, it it I love to take all the credit, but it's it's really those guys that that go out in the field and do it.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_06: Those are the guys that you know I need to thank for that.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: Who was the stud that brought you all the way to excellent question?
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_06: I had I had a I got very lucky.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_06: Uh Jackson Smith and Jigba, the wide receiver.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_06: He was incredible last year.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_06: I had Puka as well.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_06: Oh my god.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_06: And I had Stafford.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_06: So every time Puka got a touchdown, I had Stafford throwing it to him.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_06: Um, yeah, you know, listen, I'd love to take credit and uh say that I did it on purpose.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_06: I didn't.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_06: It was not on purpose.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_06: A lot of people have asked me, will this change how you react or how you act day to day with this belt?
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_06: And I'll be honest, I think it might.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_06: I think I may get a little bit more cockier.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think you can.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure that you can get cockier.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_06: Well, challenge accepted, Julie, we'll find out.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: I do want to say that when I won March Madness, I didn't get a belt.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_06: So it was our first year of doing March Madness.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_06: This past season?
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_06: This past season, yes.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_02: Oh wow, congrats.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's not easy either.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_06: That's not easy.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I picked based off of team colors.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe that's what I should.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: Jeez.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_06: And then lastly, I I know you're a football guy.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_06: Yep.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_06: Um, my cousins and I, this is our tenth year of joining the circa millions.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_06: Have you ever you ever have you heard about the circa?
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_06: I have.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_06: So uh we're our our team name is Equal Amount of Blueberries, which is famously from the movie Casino.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_06: Yep.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_06: That's all I wanted to do.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: I should do that circa thing.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe I should talk to Paul Ryu or something about that.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_06: Do a whole uh uh Ryu, Phil, the whole team type of thing.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_06: That could be really fun.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_06: A whole jump force team.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, there you go.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but Phil, yes, excited for you to be here.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_06: You're a Patriots guy.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_06: How do you think the Patriots are gonna do this year?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: I'm feeling pretty optimistic.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: The receiving core is better, way better than last year, and Drake's just one year better.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're gonna surprise a lot of people.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_02: And uh even though they didn't surprise a lot of people last year, I went to the Super Bowl.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_02: Did you really in February?
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: I did.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_06: Where was that?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: It was in it was in San Fran.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: So there was a lot of convenience there, a lot of logistically, it was easy.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_02: I booked everything before the Seahawks uh won.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, you did?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_06: You so you knew when the Patriots won, you booked the ticket, regardless of whoever they're going again.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: Right, because I was worried.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, you know, whoever, yeah, because both it was LA and Seattle, I think, for the NFC Championship game.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: So hotels was only like$300 a night.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_02: Well, uh flights were very reasonable still.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: You must have gotten it quick.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: I did, I I had everything booked except for the tickets by halftime.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: Brilliant.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but although I must say, could have spent eleven thousand dollars better than going to the Super Bowl.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: Uh yeah,$5,500 a ticket.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_04: Brutal.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_02: Jeez.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: And but you know, I'm grateful to have the means and the time to do something like that and not have that money affect my life.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_02: Well said.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but what a shitty game.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_06: It was a shitty game.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_06: What was the shittier game?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_06: That game or when the Patriots lost to the Raiders and they by the was it like a backward lateral?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_02: So was it Kendrick Bourne that did the backwards lateral to Mac Jones?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: Mac Jones, yeah.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: Chandler Jones got it, stuffed Mac Jones into the ground.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: Might still be there.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh and the score.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_02: That was You went to that game.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: I was at that game.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_02: I've been to both Raiders-Patriots games, both awful at Allegiant.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um the second game, my wife's a big Jimmy Garoppolo fan.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_02: He got knocked out.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, it was in the in the ambulance by halftime.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: Brian Hoyer comes in and beats the Patriots.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: It was fucked.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_03: Brutal.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_02: But no, uh, I think that lateral was just super shocking.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but the Super Bowl was like a slow grind, like, oh, this is not nothing's happening.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_06: That yeah, once you kind of get the idea, it's not gonna be another 28-3 type of Super Bowl.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_06: It's gonna be uh a shitty type of Super Bowl with no comeback.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, it's kind of like demoralizing.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_02: It was tough, but we're on to 2026.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I'm excited.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh are you gonna go to get any games?
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: Are they uh Chargers at uh at SoFi end of November?
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_02: That was the only one I was looking at.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna fly it at Jacksonville or Cincinnati or something.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_06: We'll see.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: Have you seen Tom Brady around town?
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: Uh last time we saw him, I saw him was at Mandalay Bay, uh the pre-opening of his uh thing of the card vault.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, and so he did a little thing in that little uh Mandalay Bay, uh I don't know, like performance bar, center bar.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I get there around 4 p.m.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: He's he gets on at 5 p.m.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_02: and it was madness.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure it was crazy.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: Then he started autographing these sponge footballs and started chucking them like a nerf football?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, almost like that.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: And we were up front, so he wasn't really throwing it to the front, he was throwing it all to the back, and I don't even know what the heck was going on.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: But the craziest thing was, and after that, he walks to Card vault through the Mandalay Bay uh casino floor, yeah, and everyone's just losing their minds.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure uh trying to take photos, whatever.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: And um, my proudest moment was I I shared the escalator with him uh on the way up to Card Vault.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_06: Lucky bastard.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_06: I'm so jealous of him.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_02: Have you met him?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, I did meet him once in 2003.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, wow.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: So um the company I was working for, we were doing celebrity gift bags.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so we would have all these brands pay us, and then we'd just uh distribute these at like celebrity events.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: And so they get like free LASIK, all this stuff, and Mike Vrabel uh was there too.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: But uh one of the linemen, uh Matt Light, was doing a wrestling event.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: So all the guys came out um for that.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: It was the week after they had beaten the Colts, Willie McGinnis had this huge sack on Peyton Manning.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Or no, it was like a run stuff or something like that.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_02: And uh it was incredible.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: That was the only time like I met him and talked to him.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_06: Man, I could literally talk to you about Patriots football all day long.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_06: I know you guys I know you could too.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm so excited for the season.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, excited for tomorrow.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe they're gonna uh upset.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_06: We'll see what happens.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_06: Uh let's let's talk about Vegas.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_06: Uh actually, I have one more question, a random question before we get started.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_06: Las Vegas Phil, you spell it F-I-L-L-Y.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: Well, the default answer is that the Las Vegas Phil P H I L was taken by the Philharmonic.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: So I could not get that, which is true.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's a weird explanation, and I don't know if it really makes any sense.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um my wife's Japanese, English is her second language, and then when we used to go out, you know, if you eat a lot, you'd say, Oh, I'm so full.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_02: But for some reason, she turned it to I'm so Phil.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh when I had to think of a name, I just thought Las Vegas Phil was it.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_06: You know what?
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_06: That works perfectly for you.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_06: It really does.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_06: I I I I don't need any other explanation.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_06: That makes sense to me.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_06: I I'm glad it worked out that way.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_06: Because if it was P H I L, I it would have been you know just another Las Vegas in your name.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_06: Exactly.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_06: I'm glad it worked out that way.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_06: All right, Vegas.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_06: You you've been here for how long?
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_06: We moved here in 06.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_06: Okay.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: God, yeah.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_06: How has how would you rank Las Vegas in terms of being a good food city?
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_06: Would you say it's it's top tier, mid-tier?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think when comparing the rest of the US cities, it's gotta be top tier.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_02: Arguably the best because of the convenience and so many amazing restaurants in such a small, condensed area that you can get to, not even down the street within the same building.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: So to me, it's been incredible.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, looking back when I moved here in 06, there was like two ramen spots.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: And now, I mean, ramen's basically the new pizza.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, it really is.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, non-Koreans have kimchi in their fridge.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_02: Whoever thought of that.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um Julie is definitely not Korean.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: The evolution, a kimchi is just a condiment just like ketchup and mustard now.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, as crazy it is.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I'm gonna say I'm gonna say top three.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: Easy, arguably the best, but I like New York more, um, but it's just harder to get to things.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_06: Is it because of the celebrity chefs that are here, or is it because of just the the the different cultures that have come to Vegas?
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_02: I think celebrity chefs definitely play a big part, but I think it's more the diversity.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um the only thing really missing are maybe like a few Cuban spots and a couple other things, but you know, you could say that about any city.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: But I think it's been incredible to see what's come up and what's still to come.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: But the biggest challenge honestly is how are all these places gonna stay in business and make enough money to go on from year to year?
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_06: It's it's it's tough, and it's a tough discussion to have because like I you start to see posts now, now that we're midway through the year, of all these closures that have happened in 26, and it sucks.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, there are some really good spots, but you know, whether it be tariffs or employment or whatever the reason is, all the above.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_06: All of the above.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_06: It's it's gotta be so hard.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_06: I feel for anyone that's in the restaurant business, uh that that owns a restaurant right now, because it it it it's gotta be hard.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_06: Unless you're one of the select few that are just continuously thriving, I couldn't imagine being a restaurant owner right now.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_06: It's gotta be scary as hell.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, people ask me for years now when I'm gonna own a restaurant, and the answer is probably never, because I talk to enough owners to know how tough it is year in, year out.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_06: I mean it's you see it firsthand.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_06: You're you're you're in it.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_02: It's tough.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: And then I sc and then I get the DMs from restaurants and owners like, hey, you know, we're really like about to close, you know, is anything that you can do to come in, pull a Keith Lee and yeah, and help us out.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_06: Do you feel that you could turn a restaurant around?
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_06: If you if if the price was right and the timing was right, do you feel like you could turn a restaurant around?
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I think there's there's a lot of things that come into play.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: I wouldn't say turn it around, but I could definitely I mean I wouldn't still be here making money and everything if it didn't work.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um but I think having big influencers come in definitely plugs a hole, but it's not the be-all end all and the answer to all your problems because a lot of times there's a few things that could happen.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: This the restaurant isn't ready uh for the crusher people, and then it's a one and done for everyone and a and a and a subpar experience.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: But along with that, there are just so many restaurants, it's hard to be a regular anywhere.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: So after they try it and like it, they're kind of on to the next one.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think the best, the safest plan is really to have you know a social media plan in place, whether that's with a qualified social media manager or something like that to keep it going.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you think about all the restaurants I keep you blew up, how many of those are still open?
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: Less than five.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so because they didn't never have most of them never had a plan afterwards.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: They thought it would just keep going forever.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_06: We've had uh a few local comedians on and they've talked about like this the what happens when you have a clip that goes viral.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_06: Like, for example, you're an up-and-coming comedian and you have this one clip that gets millions of views, and now you know you're you're getting all this attention on you, but you're you're not ready.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_06: Your your full set isn't ready, or you're not ready for you know whatever situation it is.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_06: Um, and I feel like it's a very similar situation where you know you get this huge surge of of traffic and and foot traffic to your to your place, but you may not be ready for it.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_06: You may not be it may be staffing, it could be training, it could be food, whatever it is.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but that's spot on.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_06: Do you remember the restaurant that Keith Lee blew up?
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_06: What was that?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_06: Several.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Frankenson's was the most notable, and they closed down.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: Did they?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they closed down a year and a half ago.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: Damn.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I would say you you talk about squandered opportunity, and I'm not trying to start you know stomp over the grave here, but they didn't they never had a social media plan in place, and they never good did a good job.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: You had you know Frankenstein's guy himself just s announcing what the specials were for the day.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's that's not gonna work.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_06: That's the that that's not sustainable.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: So, but yeah, he's blown up a few others.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: Bodogies is another one.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that was actually it is a social media client of mine.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we had a plan.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: Nice, and they're still riding that wave, honestly.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh people still come in specifically to the Ford Apache location because of Keith Lee two years, three years ago.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: That's crazy.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_06: We talked about this a little bit before we aired.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_06: You and I and I understand it, you don't necessarily want to be the focus, or you run a handful of restaurants around town, but you don't want to be, you know, the front and center guy.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_06: You want the restaurant to be the focus.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_06: Is it hard to not talk about you know how these are all your successes?
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_06: Or are you happy with not, you know, being in the in the forefront of all of it?
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: I think in a conversation like this, it's fine, but like announcing publicly, like all over the place and kind of taking on the ambassador role of the restaurant is uh a dangerous way to do it because uh people might have a bias towards me uh and not want to go to a restaurant because I'm endorsing it.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um and then also what if eventually that business relationship uh fizzles out and then there's such a strong association with the personality and the restaurant, years later it's still hard to separate.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I think you know, obviously that ambassadorship thing, those that kind of thing works, but I don't think in the long run it's good for the brand.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_06: Well said.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I just want the food to speak for itself.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: Well said.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: In terms of food speaking for itself, right, with a lot of what marketing is now it is through social media.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but obviously, of course, I scrolled through your social media for hours upon hours before this iteration.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, thanks.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_06: That's what she does.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I do.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_06: Um Which by the way, we have so many questions about the earlier days, but we're gonna get to that in the middle of the day.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'd love to talk about that too.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, somebody, me, might have spent hours and hours on your Yelp.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, wow.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, you know, I was thinking the other day, um, because at least in my household, we have a hard time trusting all influencers, especially just because you never know like what they're posting or what they're doing behind it.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: And part of that is a lot of times food looks really pretty, but tastes really terrible.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes it's the the opposite.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: What is in your opinion is one of the things here in Vegas that people skip out on because maybe it's not the most visually appealing, but it's like a you have to go try this.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's so good.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a bunch of ugly, delicious types of cuisine, and certain cuisines, specifically in Vegas, that just don't ever go viral.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: Indian food, Thai food's tough, um, you know, uh Eastern European food, things like that.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: So honestly, for me these days, I think it surprises me when I hear that people have never tried Indian food still because it's so good and so different than anything else.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: What's your favorite Indian dish?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_02: My favorite Indian dish depends on the day.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um on your best day.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_02: I like I like the whole spread, but like chicken corma, the cashew-based curry, is always uh good for me.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_02: I love Tandoori chicken a lot.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_02: Any of the breads, um, those are the things, staples that I I like to get when I'm at any restaurant in town here.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I love dosa as well.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of the street food type stuff.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: I get that.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_06: You know, it's it's interesting how significant.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, this has been around for a while now, but how significant social media plays on the success of these restaurants, kind of like what we've been talking about.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_06: And I'll give you a perfect example.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_06: And this is this is why this is a personal story between you and I, that this is this is what made me look at you in a whole different light when it comes to you know who's an influencer just for their own, you know, sake, and who's an actual influencer for the best of the restaurant and you know who's got the experience.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_06: So back in 2020-ish, uh, my dad, who is was a restaurant consultant, uh, worked with Martin Yan and opened up MY Asia at the horseshoe.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_06: This was a project that they were working on for a while and the pandemic hit and you know it it it caused a lot of delays, but eventually they were open.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_06: Uh my dad, you know, six foot four, big Itali white Italian guy, doesn't really have the uh the experience in terms of the the cuisine, but you know, partnering with Martin Yan, who everybody knows Martin, if especially if you're Asian, you you you know who Martin is.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_06: You probably grew up with him, yeah.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: And so meeting him for the first time was an incredible moment for me.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_06: What uh he he even went on your show, right?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he went on the podcast to promote MYAsia.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: Love that, and all this other stuff.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I don't know, are we gonna talk about the stuff?
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, absolutely.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_06: So we had um, so my my dad, who was out of the restaurant game for a few years, you know, there was uh in between the last time he was in a restaurant to MY Asia, there was a significant gap in in years, and with that, a lot of changes in terms of what's successful when it comes to having a restaurant.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_06: And so a lot of these elements that my dad implemented in this MYAsia restaurant uh weren't as successful or as effective as they used to be back in the day.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_06: A lot of it was the presentation, you know, go walking around pulling the noodles, or you know, the way that you have Martin kind of walking around the restaurant, whatever it was.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_06: Um, and that's not really the case anymore.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_06: And I also I think he underestimated the importance of influencers, foodie influencers, especially.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_06: Um, he didn't really put a lot of uh weight in behind that.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but either way, obviously having you on or having you into the restaurant was uh the the the number one goal for me for my dad because I knew how significant you know it would be to have you in, but also to have you know the Asian community hopefully seeing that you have a great experience and uh following following your lead.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_06: We had you in.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_06: You didn't have a great experience.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, it was really bad.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_06: It was really bad.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_06: I brought in John Curtis with me.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_06: John Curtis, who's a local writer, right?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, the yeah, the definitive old school food guy in Vegas.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_06: So tell me about quite controversial.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_06: What happened at the restaurant?
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_06: Because you so what happens?
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_06: I I reached out to you that night and I said, Hey man, how did it go?
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_06: And you very professionally was like, Hey man, I appreciate you inviting me in.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_06: I even have it, I have the text right here.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: It was pretty long, I do remember the.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_06: Listen, it was long, but in in summation, you basically said, I really appreciate you setting this up.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_06: The overall feeling was shockingly poor to mediocre, and you listed off you know what didn't didn't hit with.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_06: You and I'll be honest, I don't blame you.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_06: Uh, a lot of those things were were very unfortunate that you had to experience it.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but I love to hear you know your side of it of you know how what you remember it was.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_06: This was five, six years ago by now.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I was just stoked to hang out with Martin.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, more than anything.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: In the back of my mind, I was like, there's no way the food's gonna be the issue because this guy's such a legend.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, the build-up and everything was super great.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: I was super excited to be there.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I brought in Curtis with me and some other friends.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, upon the first few bites, it was just like, what the fuck is happening here?
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_06: Was it it was just it wasn't like uh I guess you're you're surprised that it it got Martin's stamp of approval?
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_02: Or are you saying that the the dishes that specific night were just so I'm gonna be so I did eat there like a week before the grand uh opening uh with Martin and a couple of a couple other people and it was fine.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um but I was just thinking, well, it'll probably be better once everything's a full go.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um but no, there was a bunch of things like the all the dim sum, like one of the managers actually told me after I told him it wasn't great, he's like, Oh yeah, this was frozen and prepackaged.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, well, why the fuck did you serve this to me?
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_02: Why'd you tell me?
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: I can't believe he told you that, by the way.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was crazy.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think his name was Bobby.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um but yeah, and then as the as the evening went on, it was just like, oh man, this is just becoming more and more of a bummer.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, unfortunately, I have those nights, you know, five to ten times a year where it's the a disappointing meal.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_02: And it was just one of those times.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_02: And I hadn't actually spoken to Martin until maybe two months ago uh when he was at Taste of Asia doing uh book signing.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, really?
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: So he remembered me.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_02: He didn't remember my name, he just got calling me VIP.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_06: Um I mean, listen, I'm sure you get that called everywhere you go around town.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: But he said he was, I guess uh he says, like in all his things that he's 88 years old, but all the fans, uh the hardcore fans were like, he said he was 88 10 years ago.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_02: So how old is this guy?
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_06: Um He's got energy though, man.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_06: He's he's still on the go.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, to me, it doesn't matter what he does now.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_02: It's to historically to open up Chinese cuisine to such uh uh large amount of Americans um and really change the face of Chinese food in America, um you know, to his credit.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I don't I don't think there's anyone that's done more.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: So in terms speaking of opening restaurants, Vegas continues to open big ones, but we've seen so many of the recognizable ones closing, like Andrew was touching on earlier.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: One example that like stood out and I feel like a lot of people were shocked when it hit social media was Heart Attack Grill closing.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: I think a few months ago that was in the spring, right?
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: What are your thoughts on something so obviously like well known?
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't even know it was in Vegas until I moved here.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: I just remember seeing it on TikTok and Instagram, whatever.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: But how did how do you feel when things that well known announced their closures?
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: Or if you want to share, how do you feel about how they announced their closure?
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know how they announced their closure.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_02: I just heard it from whoever I heard it from.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm just being honest, I I was never interested in dining a heart attack grill.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: Those burgers look like shit.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, fair enough.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I don't think it was ever really about the food.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_02: It was about putting on the gurney, yes, getting spanked, standing on the scale, yeah, and taking a picture with a nurse.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_02: So honestly, it was a really good run.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: I'm really surprised they even lasted as long as they did.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_02: But it is a large space, it's a very um prominent section of Fremont Street, and I think the landlords could potentially make a lot more money there than than they have been recently.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think they should fill that space with?
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_01: If it were up to you, what what would you put there?
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um I would put a roller rink.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: Really?
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's a really good idea, if you ask me.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: I I think that or the the food court uh at Uncommons, the food hall, that should be a roll.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Crystal Palace West.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, well.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: That's what they should do.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_06: Or maybe Las Vegasville's newest restaurant.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_06: You never know.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_06: You never know.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_03: I'll be there to say I still get at least five DMs a week from idiots that think you have a restaurant.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, what are your hours?
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_03: What's your location?
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_06: How do I make a reservation?
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_06: And I love when you post that because I always comment on it like, yeah, when is that gonna happen?
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_06: Like these guys are such idiots.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: You're telling me all the food that you post, like trying and talking about, they think it's from they think it's one restaurant.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Can you imagine?
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, at best it's a food court.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe a buffet.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_06: It'll be larger than Cheesecake Factory.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_02: A very expensive buffet, but yeah.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's insane.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I try to be polite, you know, but holy hell.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: You are listening.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: This is wild.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_02: Still, it really goes to show more than 50% of people never read the caption.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, for sure.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_06: Especially this day and age, it's all about you know the short attention spans and you know what they see right in front of you and not what it is.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: Could you imagine watching something an hour long vertically?
• 27:35
  unknown: No.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_02: No?
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_02: But why is it okay?
• 27:38
  unknown: No.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_06: The other way.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_06: I know I don't get it, man.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_06: Listen, that's one of the questions that I just don't have an answer to.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's because I'm a part of like the the TikTok age.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: You could watch it for an hour?
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: I I mean I sit there and I can do scroll for an hour.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_02: So but stay on one.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's like someone made like Twilight Six for the TikTok generation.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_02: Two hours holding your phone this way.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: Could I do it?
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: For Twilight Six, I could do it.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_06: Is it because you're Team Edward?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: No, I was it that's a whole different topic.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know why I brought up Twilight.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: I could have said that fee.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_06: No, no, you said Twilight.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: Now we know Phil is Team Edward.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: He binge walked.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_02: I did revisit it recently.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_02: I you know, I watch a lot of movies because I'm editing a lot of videos all the time.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I kind of keep it in the background.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I did revisit um the Twilight films when it was on Netflix.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: And that was that was some weird ass shit at the end.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's a weird time.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_02: Rinesme and Jacob.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: Jacob imprinting on a baby.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like what?
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: And then what is that really?
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_06: Spoiler alert, by the way.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_06: Are you kidding me?
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, some five-year-olds like, fuck you, I'm still baby! God damn you, Las Vegas Phil.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but no, with with Heart Attack Grill, obviously it I I completely agree with you.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_06: It's all about the more about the experience, less about the food.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_06: Um, but there are plenty of restaurants that not only hit a home run with the experience, but also hit a home run with the food.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_06: Um, and on top of that is the marketing, the social media marketing that goes with it as well.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_06: I know you don't like to talk about you know the restaurants that you you know do handle.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_02: It's okay.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_02: We can hear because it's you.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_06: Exactly.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_06: Because I'm on this show.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you, because you're on the Hey Big Head show.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: I'll peel back the curtains.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_06: I appreciate it.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_06: We did have uh Cliff Atkinson, who is the CEO of Fremont Street Experience, on, and he was talking a lot about um you know the struggles that a lot of restaurants have been going through.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_06: Um and I want to play a clip that he talked about.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_06: He talked about the golden steer.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_06: You handled the social media marketing for the golden steer, and you've handled it for how long?
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_06: Since August 2020, September 2020.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_06: And probably right around the golden steer has been a staple in this community for a long time, but it really hasn't been that hard to get a reservation, I feel like, until the social media started to take off, which was right around the pandemic era.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: That's true.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they only had maybe 3,000 followers at the time.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_06: And what are they at now?
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_02: Like 600 of 600k on IG.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_06: Good for you.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_06: Well, uh, I wanted to play this clip because for you, because it it's pretty awesome.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: I think there'll be some throwbacks, and you see it with restaurants.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: Look at Golden Steer.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: Golden Steer might be in their best time ever, but you know, 10, 15 years ago, it wasn't as popular as it is today, but social media, the you know, your coal drinks, uh, you know, your coal martinis being poured, um, you know, Sinatra's table, things that like really millennials, Gen Z, they they want an experience that they can't have anymore.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_06: That's pretty awesome.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_06: That that's pretty cool.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_06: That even the CEO of and Cliff has been around Vegas for a long time.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_06: He's been do you remember some of his uh Fountain Blue, Virgin, Sands?
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_06: Yes, like he's wow.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_06: He's he's if if you don't know him, definitely check him out.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_06: But the fact that he recognizes what the impact he he may not have known that it was specifically you, but he knew that there was a big shift in terms of what Golden Steer did differently.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_06: Um, so well done.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, all I really needed was a chance for an owner to to embrace shooting food on a phone.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_02: I think a lot of the fine dining spots were always afraid of that.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_02: They wanted a DSLR, they wanted like the magazine style shoots, and I it just doesn't work.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_06: What did you do differently with Golden Steer?
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_06: That that what do you attribute the success of Golden Steer on the social media marketing side of things?
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_06: Like, what worked for Golden Steer that you know?
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, lobster, lots of lobster, lots of butter.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: My wife's hands are in literally every video.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, she's like the muse that did all these crazy food setups, and I'm just the the schmuck with the camera and the light, just shooting it, to be honest.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_06: Is that the greatest success story that you have from three to six hundred thousand?
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_02: I would say yes.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_02: I think at this moment Goldensteer would be my biggest social media marketing success.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I can't say it's uh I can't take all the credit.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_02: You know, a lot of my influencer friends, especially in the beginning, went there.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um unlocked, has posted Golensteer numerous times, Starfish, a bunch of others as well.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, so successful.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean the brand is so successful now, they opened up in New York City in January, last January.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_06: No way, that's great.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, on 15th Avenue.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_02: I went there and it was like a dream.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_02: It was like crazy to like walk through there and and see what they've done um with that place.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_02: I used I went to NYU, so I was right by that building all the time.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_06: Are you in charge of their social media too or no?
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_02: I am currently doing work for the New York location until they hopefully can hire somebody.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um I love New York.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know how often I can go.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um but it's uh it's been fun.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_06: It's a cool experience.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_06: For sure.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_06: Love that.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_06: So you've shared the story of how Las Vegas Phil got started in other podcasts.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_06: We don't have to go down that road, but if you could just kind of give me a brief summation of how what the early days of Las Vegas Phil uh were like.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_06: What what year did you start reviewing food?
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_06: Black food?
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_02: So Yelp, I started around 2009, 2008, 2009.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_02: I had a swing shift job as uh working shilling timeshare for Marriott at the form shops.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_02: And so I would we had only one car at the time, so my wife would pick me up around 11 p.m.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_02: and we'd be looking for places to eat dinner and then probably gamble or do something after.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_02: So when I discovered Yelp and I started reading all the reviews, I'm like I can I can write these reviews too.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_02: And that's kind of when the ball started rolling as far as for reviewing food and talking about food.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_02: And it was crazy, like 2010, 2011, I started getting recognized through the Yelp reviews, and I got magazine gigs because of it.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_06: That's incredible.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_02: And then it wasn't until maybe like 2015, 2016 when I saw the initial wave of Instagrammers who were blowing up food, like Drew and Paul Ryu and Happy Tummy and Emi Las Vegas and all these guys that kind of piqued my interest because then I didn't have to focus on the whole dining experience.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_02: I could just focus on one entree or one appetizer that I really loved.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_02: And um because I had made so many restaurant connections um through Yelp, and I was never able to use them.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like I couldn't like get a comp meal and then write a review.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yelp was very NCAA at that time.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_02: And so this was a great outlet for me to like do shoots, get people in, and so all these people were forced to hang out with me because you know, I had these connections to the restaurants they normally didn't go to.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: So then yeah, I forced myself on them to become friends.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_06: Well, look at you.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_06: And now here you are.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_02: But I will say, you know, there was never any intention of this being a job being any more than just a passion or a hobby.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know, without social media, without all this stuff, I'd still be going out all the time, just eating out anyway.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so all the work and all the money is just become was just a byproduct of of that passion.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_06: You know how boring life would be if everything went according to plan and it didn't throw you a few curveballs, like having being a full-time food influencer.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_06: You know how boring life would be if that was the case?
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: For real.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: Every it was every year I was like, I'm never gonna do that, and the next year I'm doing it.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_02: So that's that's uh that's how it's been.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_06: Well, let's go back to 2009, 2010.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_06: You wanna play a little game?
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_06: Sure, let's do it.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_06: We're so Julie most graciously went through all of your old Yelp reviews.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_06: Oh my god.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_01: I had a blast doing it.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_06: She had a lot of fun.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: You're very fun.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_06: So we're gonna all very profanity-laced.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, you you definitely were uh not holding back then, which is which I love.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_06: We're gonna share four reviews, and I want you to try to guess what the what what restaurant you were reviewing.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_01: I think you should give him at least the year as well.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_02: No, the the year's not gonna matter.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: Is that gonna matter?
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_01: They are I don't know.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_01: They're all Las Vegas based.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_06: Okay, all Las Vegas based.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_06: The good ones are still open?
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: The good ones are still open, um, and then the three-star and the one star are closed.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_06: So not so you don't have to worry about talking trash about anymore.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_06: Either way.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_06: Okay.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_06: Uh let's start with a five-star.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_06: Julie, do you want to read them or did you want me to read them?
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go back and forth.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_01: You can start.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_06: I'll start with a five-star.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_06: This is crazy.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, we're gonna see.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_06: You ready for this?
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_06: Let's see.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_06: Hold on, we're loading here.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_06: So this was five star.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_06: If blank restaurants served only oyster crackers and peanut butter, I'd still be down for the stunning dining room alone.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_06: Are we really still in Vegas?
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_06: The space has more books than probably all the schools in Las Vegas combined, and it really is a welcome vibe.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_06: The roast chicken, yeah, you can get the whole chicken at Costco with all the uh change scattered in your car.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_06: Go fuck yourself.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_06: This gourmet's fuck entree is two for$94.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_02: I already know this one.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_02: Nice.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_02: What is it?
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_06: Nomad.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_06: Uh no, no, what?
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_06: That nomad.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_02: Sorry, sorry.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_06: No, it's not.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_06: I'm actually surprised because I thought I gave it away with something I said.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_06: Um, veal chopped veal chopped tomahawk, oven roasted, 14-ounce chop with the chimichuri of winter greens.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_06: If the blank offered study cubicles, I would have taken one of them and not even bothered with utensils for this outstanding piece of meat.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_06: Crazy juice and delicious.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_06: What is that?
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_06: Whoa!
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, unless I'm misunderstanding, and this place has two names.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_06: No, because I think wait, what did you say?
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_06: Nomad?
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh or is this before?
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_06: Maybe.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_02: Books.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_06: Books.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: So that's what gave it away for me that thinking it was Nomad, because I can't remember another restaurant.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_06: Unless it changed the name.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_06: But the name of this was The Library.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_06: The Library.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, it's the same?
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: Great.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: We're off to a great start with the game.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_02: Because they did have a fancy chicken.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_02: Which is really good.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the only thing was they didn't have any Asian rice for the chicken.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um but yeah.
• 38:18
  unknown: Okay.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_02: All right, Julie.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: You want me to should we go five star again?
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: Three star or one star?
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_06: Let's do another five-star.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_01: Let's do the other five star.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_01: News flash.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_01: The bib will be the Las Vegas fashion trend of 2016.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: Soft, long, and dare I say, sleek.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_01: This immaculate garment says, I'm ready to stuff my face full of meat while looking fierce.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_01: Attempts to make a hot face with mixed results.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: During my 20-minute wait for an open table, I saw a large party exit while still wearing them.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: They knew what was up.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Tom Ford best take notice.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: If the bibs came in different colors, silly carnivores like me would collect them all.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: Unlike the lackluster service from another new K barbecue spot a few weeks ago.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: That is exactly what will keep me coming back here.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_01: Our grillmeister was ganky as anyone I'd ever come across in a restaurant.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_01: I like the fact that she explained the menu clearly, took care of all the cooking, and pretty much did everything but put the food in my mouth, burt me when it was over, and make me call her mommy.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_02: I was on what I wrote that you were.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's homok.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: It is homak.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_01: Nicely done.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_02: Nicely.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, what a trip down memory lane.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_02: You're a good writer.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_02: I owe it to my desk job.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, a lot of times when I was at work, I was actually just writing reviews a lot of the times.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_06: On the clock.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_02: On the clock.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_06: I love that.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_02: Sorry, TD Village.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_06: And Julie, side note, you're you're you got a great uh speaking voice.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_06: You should be like an audiobook.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_01: Me and Phil are actually starting a new business.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_01: He writes reviews and I read them in different voices.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_06: That's brilliant.
• 39:56
  unknown: I love that.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_06: All right, so here's a three-star.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_06: Okay.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_06: Good happy hour.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_06: Definitely the best, and maybe only the only time to go.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_06: This place has to have the LV Yelp record for the most reviews with the word douche in it.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_06: Hilarious! You do get quite the bang for your buck, with uh that that'll give it a give it away.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_06: It's almost like two for one since the shaker still has a lot of drink left.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_06: Douche.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, what place has douche in the reviews a lot?
• 40:25
  SPEAKER_06: All capital letters.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_06: Douche! Ooh, three stars.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_06: This was June or January 31st, 2011.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_02: So happy hour.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_02: But why douche?
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_06: Let me read the let me read the sentence.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_06: I didn't complain.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_06: You do get quite the bank for your buck with the$7 martinis at happy hour.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_02: I can only think maybe Brio, but what does Brio have anything to do with thinking of happy hours overflowing martinis?
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_06: It's almost like two for one since the shaker still has a lot of drink left.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_06: I love that line.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_02: Man, I'm lost in that one.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_06: Did we stump Phil?
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_02: I think with his own reviews?
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_02: You stumped me.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_06: Blue Martini.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_02: Blue Martini.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yes! Blue Martini.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's why.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, I was in Town Square.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_02: I was just at the wrong part of Town Square.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_06: All right, Julie, finish the last one.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_06: This is this one's a kind of a long one, so maybe jump.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, I'll do my best.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_06: Jump around to the good parts.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_01: Worst food I have ever had by a Chinese-owned and run restaurant ever.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_01: What the hell were their mothers cooking for them when they were kids to think this was passable?
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_01: Ginny, Chad, Deborah, you're alright.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_01: It was my fault for not looking at any of the reviews until I checked in after picking up my order.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_01: I actually considered bringing this whole bag back for a refund without trying any of it.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone is Chinese here.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_01: How bad can it be?
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, baby, it's bad.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: I'll give them credit for soup being hot.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: One out of two, nice job.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure how they managed to make the soup bland but very oily.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_01: But they did.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: I was in such disbelief that I actually called them to let them know how bad it was.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: The person I spoke with said they'd get they'd save my phone number and I'd get a free entree the next time I order.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_01: Ha! I would advise all the reviewers that stowed five Yelp stars to this restaurant to avoid Chinese restaurants like KJ's, HK Star, and Wendy's Noodle unless you've consulted a neurosurgeon first, because your brain would explode if you ate at any of those spots.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: You got it?
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: Alright, I know where it is.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_02: I know, because I used to live right by there on Rainbow.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_02: God, it's still open.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_01: No, but this one's permanently closed.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_01: I wish though.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: I would have put it in the city.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_02: What is the name of the place called?
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like Happy Walk or something?
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_01: But you did write one about Happy Walk.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_01: I do remember that one.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_06: One of my favorite lines that uh you didn't read is my uh chicken and broccoli.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_06: The quality of the chicken was rubbery.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_06: My chihuahuas enjoyed it and gave it three out of five Yelp stars.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, that's a good line.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's a good line.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I don't remember the name of the place, but I know where it is.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_02: I know exactly where it was.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_02: Chang's Express.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_02: Chang's Express.
• 43:13
  unknown: Damn.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_06: Old school fill.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for digging into that.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if he's ever done that.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_01: It was really, really fun.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_01: I had a blast.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there were some lines that I had to edit out just for YouTube's sake, but we'll talk about it after we're going to go.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_06: There was more vulgarness to it?
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, from that one, there was one that really almost made me pee my pants.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_06: I see a big block of black on there.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_06: So I thought it was just because of the give it away.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_03: Redacted.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_03: Redacted.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_06: This is like the Epstein files.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_03: That's what this looks like.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_03: Oh jeez.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_06: Oh man.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_06: Well, Phil, that was uh Well thank you for doing that, and thank you for reading the reviews.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_01: They were so fun.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_01: And now I know where to check, at least for the ones that are still open.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, exactly.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I sometimes miss writing reviews.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_06: You don't you don't write reviews for Yelp anymore?
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: I don't.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: I self excluded myself because rarely was I ever paying for food.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I I think at this point people wouldn't a lot of people wouldn't take my my Yelp review with I mean they they take it with a grain of salt because they're thinking, oh, he was either paid or got a comp.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so I just uh stopped being coming I stopped being elite because of that.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_06: So let's let's talk about restaurants, for example, for for a second.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_06: You have plenty of experience talking and working with you know restaurant owners, not only across you know the valley, but you know, nationwide.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_06: Um maybe worldwide?
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_06: Do you work with other restaurant owners in different?
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I shot a bunch of restaurants in Japan.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_06: So worldwide.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, that's it's been fun.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_06: Um in terms of advice that you would give to restaurant owners who either haven't worked with the influencer before or maybe have but had a bad experience with it, what advice would you give a restaurant owner to make them get the most out of their social media campaign if they're working with an influencer?
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I would say you should have a social media person as working for the restaurant, or someone that can answer questions about, hey, should you bring this person in?
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_02: What about this person?
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like I feel like a lot of restaurants that complain about the influencers that they've invited, they just didn't do their research, to be honest.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you you got what was coming because you invited this person in and they had fake followers and fake views and all this stuff.
• 45:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I think someone having someone to kind of rely on is probably the most important thing.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um next step would be if you have an influencer that is interested in going in, I would let them choose what they want to order.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think so many places now they think they're doing me a favor by creating the menu and all this stuff, and I can say without a doubt, some of my shittiest dinners was because they chose the menu.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I think coming, like you could suggest some things that they might want to do, especially if it's a pay partnership, but ultimately I think it would come off as more authentic if the influencer just picked what they wanted and and just enjoyed um what they tried.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_06: Other than the so I mean obviously you've had great experiences with restaurants, you've also had not so great experiences with restaurants, other than obviously the NYAsia experience that we talked about, you've had experiences with restaurants that didn't go as well as as you wanted them to.
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_06: Is there anything or would you ever consider giving them a second chance down the road if you did go in and you said, you know, this like Chang Express or whatever that place was called?
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_02: You you you would never go back and then I don't know if I've really given many second chances, to be honest.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_06: Really?
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um if the menu still looks the same and the food still looks the same, then I think I've made my decision.
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think a lot of times for me when choosing restaurants now, it has to be someplace where I will personally go to on my own free will without social media.
• 47:07
  SPEAKER_02: In general, that is how I choose which restaurants to feature and to shoot now.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_06: Knowing that you have the power of having you know having a great experience and and posting about it and giving you know the business great success, but also knowing you have the power of maybe not having a great experience, how often do you post about not having a great experience?
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_02: It's pretty rare.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I use I'd rather, especially a mom and pop, I'd rather just tell them why I'm not posting and what can be corrected.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if I've done a negative review in quite a while.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe Texas Roadhouse was my last like mixed review.
• 47:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 47:44
  SPEAKER_02: Because these brands, these chains are untouchable.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't matter.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_02: Nobody gives a shit what I think.
• 47:50
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's been a while since I've been, I don't, at least not on Instagram, I haven't been super harsh.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think back in the Yelp days, I was unaware of how it really affected the business and until I heard from them, and they told me um what you know, the backlash from the bad review or the mixed review to me, and even now, you know, I see these numbers on the screen and I I still think it's a video game.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't connect it to real people clicking and reading or watching it.
• 48:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um but what was the question?
• 48:33
  unknown: It's okay.
• 48:34
  unknown: That's all right.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_06: Listen, let's let's change topics a bit because we're gonna talk about something that I love.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_06: It comes around every year, and I love that you're vocal about Oh no, okay.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, I think we're we might be in the the middle of it right now.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_06: We are the best of Las Vegas.
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_06: It's a who puts it on?
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_06: Is it Las Vegas Weekly or uh what what company does the best of Green Spun does one.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_02: And then there's I think another one.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_06: There there is there's one that goes around that you know has the best of, and some of the choices are legit.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_06: They're they are really, really excellent choices.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_06: But then there are others that are kind of just you your head scratching and you're like, why?
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_06: Most notably ones that you know from a few years back that you you talk about almost every year, I feel like you bring up about which which restaurant was like best sushi or something like that.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the the place inside of the Orleans routinely makes the top three list.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_02: The Silverton somehow manages to get one or two.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like best dim sum came out of a Mexican restaurant.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_02: That's confusing.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Mikasa Grill uh one was top three for best Chinese or best dim sum or something.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_06: Is it is it is the problem the voting and like it's like a popular popularity contest or a financial contest that you pay to win?
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_06: Or are there any awards out there that you know are legit that you would be like, okay, I I can see their opinion on voting this the best?
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_02: It's hard to pick bad restaurants in Vegas.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_02: I think the bar, the average bar for a quality restaurant in town is above average, and there is a lot of above average, uh above average restaurants in Vegas.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't think it's tough to choose good restaurants, um, but specifically with BOLV, you know, it's not an even playing field.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_02: Money works, yeah, and they'll take it.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_06: What would you I mean, why don't you put on a Las Vegas Phil best of awards?
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_06: Why haven't you?
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_02: Well, a lot of owners will get mad at me as well.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't I don't need that shit.
• 50:42
  SPEAKER_06: You don't need you don't need that that drama.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_02: I'll leave it to someone else.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_02: I think Starfish has done a good job with the polls, uh the DM polls that she's been posting recently.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_06: She's getting an engagement on them.
• 50:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I think you know, there's no bias or anything like that.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_02: I think she ends up being quite surprised with who ends up top three.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um so I think those are good ways to go, but I don't necessarily think those the majority's opinion is is great either.
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, they probably haven't tried every place either.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_06: It's gotta be tough.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's gotta be tough.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't know.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_02: I think I don't think Michelin is really leg that legit.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think James Beard's that legit.
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's money plays in in all these things.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_01: Even for Michelin?
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know much about it.
• 51:32
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, LVC VA has to pay Michelin to come here.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_02: That's why Michelin never came back.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh uh hasn't been back since 09, because uh the city didn't want to pay them to be here to rate all the restaurants.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't know that.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 51:45
  SPEAKER_02: That's interesting.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so you know, the J Japan Tourism Board has pays Michelin a ton to cover so many restaurants up and down the country.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_02: Uh France as well, uh obviously uh Michelin I think is a French-based thing.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't know.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_02: I I just I think they've done they did a pretty good job choosing most of them, but the Michelin winners this year?
• 52:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but I think money definitely plays a part in in who wins.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's definitely not an even playing field, and often really questionable whether a judge or a food person actually comes there to try anything.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_06: Do you feel like there are things that a Michelin star can bring to a restaurant that an influencer can't, or vice versa?
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, Michelin is one avenue to promote your restaurant, influencers are another avenue to promote your restaurant.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_02: I think the people who follow Michigan more obviously have more disposable income.
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_02: They aren't going to raising canes.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, they have the disposal income to do all these three-star places and stuff like that.
• 52:55
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's important.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_02: I think I'm glad they're they're back.
• 52:58
  SPEAKER_02: It puts a better spotlight on Vegas.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um people can argue, or there's very varying levels of upsetness to the results.
• 53:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I don't feel that strongly about it either way.
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm just glad I'm I'm honestly glad they're back.
• 53:16
  SPEAKER_02: I I went to two of the restaurants yesterday who were recognized, Lamai and Sparrow and Wolf, both have been gangbusters since the announcement.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so I'm just happy that some restaurants are busier now than they were before.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_06: Listen, with with as much, as hard as it is to own a restaurant, you know, whatever success that any restaurant could have in in this day and age, I'm all for.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_06: If that means you know they're winning best of, you're winning your Michelin star.
• 53:41
  SPEAKER_06: I love it.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_06: That's great.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_06: As long as it brings more people in, more more money flowing, uh, I'm I'm all for it.
• 53:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I I think it's good.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I was a James Beard judge for one year.
• 53:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, completely I got I was completely jaded by the whole experience.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_01: How do you become a James Beard judge?
• 53:58
  SPEAKER_02: Someone referred me, I guess.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then I talked to someone in Chicago uh from the James Beard offices about joining.
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I think this was 2022.
• 54:12
  SPEAKER_02: But what I learned through the process was that nobody eats any food.
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_02: How am I supposed to judge restaurants in the Northeast based on what?
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like What do you mean nobody eats any food?
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_06: What does that mean?
• 54:25
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I have to narrow down my choices for best chef and best restaurant of the Northeast, but when was I gonna try it?
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_02: Anything?
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_02: How is I how am I supposed to do any research?
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like go through the social media?
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_06: How long did you know from when you were you know elected or chosen to when you had to vote?
• 54:43
  SPEAKER_06: How what was the time span between those two?
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, less than two months.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_06: Oh my gosh.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, there's no way you can nobody does.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's crazy.
• 54:53
  SPEAKER_02: It was crazy, it was insane, and I just could not believe.
• 54:56
  SPEAKER_02: Like I talked to the person who brought me on.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, what do you mean you're just well, you're just going by press releases and like how good their Instagram is?
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_02: Like that.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_02: It was crazy.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 55:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so after that, I was like, there's no, yeah, there's no way I'm doing this again.
• 55:12
  SPEAKER_02: Plus, uh word was already getting out that I was becoming a James Beard judge.
• 55:18
  SPEAKER_02: So not that I need more ass kissing in my life, so I just got rid of that as well.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_06: That's I get that.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_06: Who did you vote?
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_06: Did you vote for James Beard?
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_06: Are you allowed to share who you voted for in the James Beard?
• 55:29
  SPEAKER_02: Back in 2022, yeah.
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so not only can you when you nominate somebody, you need to fill on all these all these things and then write like a 300-word thing about them.
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_04: Jeez.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_02: So uh AI wasn't as helpful back then to write these things.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_02: I had to like draft it and so I think I only did like eight because after that I was just done.
• 55:56
  SPEAKER_02: It's exhausting.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, it was exhausting.
• 55:58
  SPEAKER_02: I I was writing Yelp reviews again, um, but had to be not as vulgar.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_02: Had to be even more detailed and sound more professional, yeah.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, which was not my thing.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_02: That's so funny.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_02: So some of them I did recommend uh partage for sure, um Kaiseki Yuzu back then.
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_02: I think Lestraga.
• 56:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um I don't remember.
• 56:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I don't remember the others, but it was a very I was very jaded by the process.
• 56:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I I definitely stepped away after that year.
• 56:29
  SPEAKER_06: I'll tell you what, one of the things, and this is uh a problem that I not as an influencer but as a plus one, I used to go out with Heather Collins to all these events that she got invited to, and the amount of food that you would eat is ungodly because you're just getting served meal after meal, like we like we discussed.
• 56:45
  SPEAKER_06: And usually it's a lot of to these restaurant openings or a special event or whatever it is, and there's always food.
• 56:50
  SPEAKER_06: I gained so much weight when I was the plus one to all of those events.
• 56:54
  SPEAKER_06: You, I'm sure, are just you're always out and about.
• 56:57
  SPEAKER_06: I'm sure you rarely cook at home.
• 56:59
  SPEAKER_06: If you do, it's very minimal.
• 57:00
  SPEAKER_06: How do you because and you've you've lost weight too.
• 57:03
  SPEAKER_06: You look great.
• 57:04
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, thanks.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_06: Is it is it the the the pickleball that you've been doing?
• 57:07
  SPEAKER_06: Is that is that your just being more active in general?
• 57:10
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, for sure.
• 57:10
  SPEAKER_02: Pickleball definitely helps.
• 57:12
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I think the in that initial first year for any social media foodie with a full schedule is a shocker for the body.
• 57:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, um, the amount of sodium and cholesterol and all that stuff.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_02: It's your freshman 15 for sure.
• 57:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it it's happened to a lot of my friends, um, with the exception of Paul and Drew, I don't know how they do it, but um, but I think it's all about balance, you know.
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_02: Those days where I'm shooting two dinners in one night, I mean, those are not happening anymore unless it's absolutely like exceptional stuff.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um but in a lot of ways, you know, social media isn't real.
• 57:53
  SPEAKER_02: I've I've been at shoots where the influencer will shoot like 30,000 calories worth of stuff and not eat a single bite.
• 58:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then I see in the comments they're like, oh, it was so good.
• 58:05
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my god.
• 58:05
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, what?
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_02: Are you kidding me?
• 58:09
  SPEAKER_02: But it helped the restaurant.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, these guys have considerable followings.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_02: But so, I mean, what are they in it for?
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_02: The dopamine of you know, 100k likes on a post?
• 58:21
  SPEAKER_02: I I don't know.
• 58:22
  SPEAKER_02: Or the camaraderie of just being with food people.
• 58:25
  SPEAKER_06: Do you get that dopamine hit anymore?
• 58:28
  SPEAKER_06: No.
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_06: Of getting 100,000 likes or 100,000 likes or a million views or whatever it is.
• 58:34
  SPEAKER_06: Like I'm sure the first time you got it, it was great.
• 58:35
  SPEAKER_06: When we got our first million view video, it was phenomenal.
• 58:38
  SPEAKER_06: But I'm sure in in your situation, you've been doing this for so long and you're at the top of the game.
• 58:42
  SPEAKER_06: Do you still get that dopamine hit when something so no?
• 58:46
  SPEAKER_02: I only stew about the post that bombed and what I can learn and what I can do differently the next time around.
• 58:56
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah um what do you do when a post bombs?
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_06: Do you delete it and re-upload it at a later time?
• 59:05
  SPEAKER_02: Depends on how badly it bombs.
• 59:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um if I'm sitting on like 50 likes in an hour, then yes, I I'll probably delete it and and remix it.
• 59:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 59:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, for sure I am.
• 59:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but I don't know.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_02: I yeah, it just I don't I don't think of the numbers, it's not tangible to me.
• 59:27
  SPEAKER_06: What what gives you your dopamine hit now?
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_02: What gives me my dopamine hit now?
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think I think just chatting with people in the real world about food and like if someone says they came, if I'm eating a restaurant, they came here because of my post, and just talking with them and making a more personal connection than just through a DM, I think that's what I've enjoyed the most recently.
• 59:55
  SPEAKER_06: Love that.
• 59:56
  SPEAKER_02: And all the interactions have been pretty awesome.
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_06: Being that you're basically on the top of your game right now, like I feel like in terms of local Vegas, definitely Vegas local influencers.
• 1:00:06
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, you if we're doing top three, your your name's in there, regardless of whatever whatever number it is, it's in there.
• 1:00:12
  SPEAKER_02: That's very nice of you to say.
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_06: What would be what's what's the next goal?
• 1:00:17
  SPEAKER_06: Like what what are you chasing after now?
• 1:00:20
  SPEAKER_02: I've never really been chasing, I don't think.
• 1:00:22
  SPEAKER_02: I'm really more just focused on having the most fun and the best life that I can.
• 1:00:29
  SPEAKER_02: And all of this stuff is just a byproduct of trying to put out the best videos possible.
• 1:00:37
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I'm not really keeping score of myself with everyone else.
• 1:00:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's more just, you know, how many plane trips did I take, you know, how many nice hotels did I stay in, uh, and all the great food I ate.
• 1:00:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:00:56
  SPEAKER_02: And that's really what matters the most to me.
• 1:00:59
  SPEAKER_06: If you were to start over as an influencer today, Instagram wiped out your whole thing, you lost all your reputation, nobody knows who you are.
• 1:01:06
  SPEAKER_06: Yep.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_06: Would you get back into the influencer thing, knowing with the experience you have?
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_06: And if so, what would you do starting off as a brand new influencer?
• 1:01:15
  SPEAKER_06: What would be your focus as a brand new influencer in Vegas?
• 1:01:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think I'd probably just start at YouTube and just go straight to YouTube.
• 1:01:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, just go straight to YouTube.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, honestly, the videos never die.
• 1:01:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um people will find these posts from three years ago, four years ago, and that just never happens on the other formats.
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_02: I would treat the other formats as um, you know, just secondary platforms, I think.
• 1:01:44
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, if I had to start from zero, I think YouTube would be my where I would go.
• 1:01:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um I don't know if I do that much different uh beside besides that, talk more into the camera.
• 1:01:57
  SPEAKER_06: Love that.
• 1:01:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:01:58
  SPEAKER_06: What uh you also have uh podcast as well, Las Vegas Phil Podcast.
• 1:02:02
  SPEAKER_06: How's that been going?
• 1:02:04
  SPEAKER_06: That's a great question.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
• 1:02:05
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, there it is.
• 1:02:06
  SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
• 1:02:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, got it.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_02: Finally, got it.
• 1:02:10
  SPEAKER_02: Finally.
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's still around.
• 1:02:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:02:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I haven't shot a video uh episode in maybe two, three months.
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think all respect to you guys for being on the 80th episode.
• 1:02:25
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think we're even we've even had an eighth, 80th episode.
• 1:02:30
  SPEAKER_02: But the consistency, the dedication, the time to research the guests and do all these things, I just it's been becoming increasingly harder and harder for me to have the bandwidth.
• 1:02:43
  SPEAKER_06: You're you're doing all of it, right?
• 1:02:44
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:02:45
  SPEAKER_02: I do all of it.
• 1:02:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but fortunately, thanks to Ryusauce and Jump Force, you know, they've allowed me a space to shoot it.
• 1:02:52
  SPEAKER_02: They upload the videos, they do all the the shorts.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_04: Love that.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because my first iteration of the podcast, I had to edit everything myself, and that's that's when it ended because I could not.
• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_02: Sucks.
• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it does.
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_02: It was tough.
• 1:03:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:03:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's still around.
• 1:03:08
  SPEAKER_02: I still have some ideas for some topics, but it's just, yeah, the other things are more important right now.
• 1:03:17
  SPEAKER_02: And unfortunately.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_06: Well, good.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_06: I I like seeing you challenged.
• 1:03:20
  SPEAKER_06: Like I I've only met you as you were, you know, on your incline of social media, but I like seeing how Phil reacts to challenges such as podcasts.
• 1:03:28
  SPEAKER_06: And you're right, it's tough, it's not easy.
• 1:03:30
  SPEAKER_06: I'm very fortunate that you know, I have Julie and Brandon and Gigi, that's all part of the team that you know do a tremendous job for me, but it's a tremendous amount of work.
• 1:03:39
  SPEAKER_06: And there was one point where I was doing all of it, like like you, and it's exhausting.
• 1:03:44
  SPEAKER_06: We just got monetized on YouTube uh maybe a month ago.
• 1:03:48
  SPEAKER_06: A little over.
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_06: Congrats.
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_06: That's huge.
• 1:03:50
  SPEAKER_06: And you know, we're making$1.20 a day,$1.30 a day.
• 1:03:54
  SPEAKER_06: But it's it's it's slowly you know increasing each each day.
• 1:03:58
  SPEAKER_06: Um, and I see I at least see the potential.
• 1:04:01
  SPEAKER_06: Like it's I'm not getting discouraged that we're making less than$2 a day, but I see the potential of the growth.
• 1:04:08
  SPEAKER_06: And like when I Neon Boulevard is my digital marketing company, and when I first built my first website, I think I did it for like$300.
• 1:04:16
  SPEAKER_06: And if I were to do a website today for$300, I wouldn't pay for you know any of my bills.
• 1:04:21
  SPEAKER_06: But I saw the potential of, oh, I could turn this$300 into$500 and$1,000 and$150 and 25 and whatever.
• 1:04:28
  SPEAKER_06: Um, and so I I see the same thing with YouTube, more so than any other platform.
• 1:04:33
  SPEAKER_06: So I'm glad you you brought up the focus on YouTube and everything else in secondary.
• 1:04:38
  SPEAKER_06: That's such a great way of looking at it.
• 1:04:41
  SPEAKER_06: Because as I never thought about it like that, but as you said it, you uh a switch went off in my head.
• 1:04:45
  SPEAKER_06: I'm like, holy shit, he's right.
• 1:04:46
  SPEAKER_06: That's such a great point.
• 1:04:48
  SPEAKER_06: We had um Stephanie Rosenthal, the the daughter from the movie Casino, she was on the show over a year ago, and it's still our most profitable video, and we're still making money from it, and it's from over a year.
• 1:05:01
  SPEAKER_06: So I see the point that you're making of you know, just go on YouTube, get in front of the camera, and just you know, do your thing, have fun.
• 1:05:07
  SPEAKER_02: Those videos never die.
• 1:05:08
  SPEAKER_02: And the fact that I probably watch more YouTube on my TV than my phone now.
• 1:05:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, I mean, you're not doing that with TikTok or IG ever.
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, and I I could I could watch a YouTube video for an hour.
• 1:05:19
  SPEAKER_06: I couldn't watch an Instagram or TikTok video for an hour.
• 1:05:21
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 1:05:21
  SPEAKER_02: But right.
• 1:05:22
  SPEAKER_02: And I think within the next 10 years, I am pretty sure we will not have handheld screens.
• 1:05:29
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, holding on to handheld screens anymore.
• 1:05:31
  SPEAKER_02: What do you think we're gonna have?
• 1:05:32
  SPEAKER_02: Some kind of uh projection thing.
• 1:05:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so it will be tough for those apps to still remain relevant um, you know, in this kind of in that kind of format.
• 1:05:45
  SPEAKER_06: That's a great that's a great point.
• 1:05:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:05:46
  SPEAKER_06: I would actually have one more question, just randomly before we get out of here.
• 1:05:50
  SPEAKER_06: Um you briefly mentioned about you know fake influencers and fake engagement and stuff like that.
• 1:05:55
  SPEAKER_06: If you're a business owner or if you're if you give advice to business owners, what would you tell them to look for?
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_06: When it comes to hiring an influencer and trying to avoid the people that are obviously buying likes or obviously buying engagement.
• 1:06:07
  SPEAKER_02: I think the safest way to go would be to talk to fellow restaurant owners.
• 1:06:11
  SPEAKER_02: I think word of mouth from there, like, hey, this guy came in, we got a ton of business from this post.
• 1:06:17
  SPEAKER_02: They could do the same thing for you.
• 1:06:19
  SPEAKER_02: That has carried a lot of weight, especially in such a small city like this where everyone knows everyone.
• 1:06:26
  SPEAKER_02: But I think I mean you could cross-reference like one of those websites where you can see, you know, uh what's it called?
• 1:06:38
  SPEAKER_06: Uh I don't remember.
• 1:06:39
  SPEAKER_02: Social Blade.
• 1:06:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, social blade.
• 1:06:41
  SPEAKER_02: Or things like that where you can see, like, oh, somehow they got 100k followers today.
• 1:06:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um right when they sent me the proposal.
• 1:06:48
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 1:06:49
  SPEAKER_02: Those are kind of large red flags looking at the likes versus the views.
• 1:06:53
  SPEAKER_02: And if someone's hiding their likes, shares, and views, I mean, that's all you need to know.
• 1:06:59
  SPEAKER_04: I hate that.
• 1:07:00
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, it's crazy.
• 1:07:01
  SPEAKER_02: The outreach from influencers and the entitlement now, it's at an all-time high.
• 1:07:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I see so many DMs from creators that range from the most unprofessional DMs to semi unprofessional DMs.
• 1:07:16
  SPEAKER_02: And it's crazy.
• 1:07:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and it honestly, unfortunately, it's just gonna get worse as time goes on.
• 1:07:24
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, there was never a goal for me to be a creator, an influencer, a full-time thing.
• 1:07:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like, and it's interesting now, you know, post-COVID, people open their accounts specifically for that goal.
• 1:07:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 1:07:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um which is admirable, and it's cool like in this day and age where you can make enough money straight from your phone to do a living.
• 1:07:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's I think these days you're missing quite a bit of genuineness and honesty in posts.
• 1:07:58
  SPEAKER_02: Everything feels like a commercial.
• 1:08:00
  SPEAKER_06: So being that you do you're in charge of a handful of restaurants around town, their social media accounts, um, what is a way that a creator or an influencer could uh reach out to you and would get your attention in a positive way?
• 1:08:14
  SPEAKER_06: Or is it there's there no chance?
• 1:08:17
  SPEAKER_06: Uh for me or the restaurant.
• 1:08:19
  SPEAKER_06: Uh let's say you're you're you're managing restaurant A's social media account.
• 1:08:23
  SPEAKER_06: Sure.
• 1:08:23
  SPEAKER_06: A creator reaches out to you, and what they say is, you know, hey, I'd love to be, you know, I'd love to come in, experience the food, maybe create a post.
• 1:08:32
  SPEAKER_06: What could they say for you to say, yeah, come on in, or yeah, we'll open the discussion of working with you, as opposed to being, hey, you know, I'm an influencer with a million followers in Los Angeles.
• 1:08:43
  SPEAKER_06: I can come out to Vegas and post this story for you.
• 1:08:46
  SPEAKER_06: And obviously that would turn you off.
• 1:08:48
  SPEAKER_02: So the best way to the best way to go about it would be to introduce yourself, give a breakdown of all the platforms with the numbers and the links, and perhaps like a media one sheet that shows audience, origin of the audience, and things like that.
• 1:09:04
  SPEAKER_02: Ideally, in a perfect world, that's what I would want to look at.
• 1:09:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but a lot of these people uh became successful when they were like 18, 19, 20, and they never had to be professional because everyone just says yes to them.
• 1:09:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 1:09:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm really just looking at the results of the posts from similar restaurants.
• 1:09:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um but yeah, I see all the DMs and yeah, I can see a million followers, but if they're averaging less than 10k views per post, then I don't even answer anymore.
• 1:09:34
  SPEAKER_02: I just delete the DM, to be honest.
• 1:09:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's crazy.
• 1:09:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:09:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm really just digging into who they are and looking at the platforms and just seeing if it would be an effective partner.
• 1:09:48
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 1:09:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, if they're shirtless and all their things, and you know, obviously fine dining would not be where they should be.
• 1:09:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um but there's a time and a place for all influencers, it's just whether we want to spend the energy and the time to work with them.
• 1:10:04
  SPEAKER_06: Well said.
• 1:10:05
  SPEAKER_06: Well, Phil, this was awesome, man.
• 1:10:07
  SPEAKER_06: I I really I'm so appreciative of you coming on.
• 1:10:09
  SPEAKER_06: Um, like I mentioned before, like I didn't want to reach out to you.
• 1:10:12
  SPEAKER_06: Uh I know I know you would have said yes, but I didn't want to reach out to you early on because I didn't want to just take advantage of you know the platform that you've built.
• 1:10:19
  SPEAKER_06: I really wanted uh to be able to be in a place where you know I felt confident that you know we could deliver a product that would benefit both of us.
• 1:10:26
  SPEAKER_06: And um I'm so thankful that you know when I when we reached out, you said yes.
• 1:10:30
  SPEAKER_06: Uh you're you're a good friend, you're a good dude.
• 1:10:32
  SPEAKER_06: Um, and I want everybody who isn't following Las Vegas Phil, which select few of if if by now, if you're not following Las Vegas Phil and you live in Las Vegas, what are you doing with your life?
• 1:10:43
  SPEAKER_06: What do you do?
• 1:10:44
  SPEAKER_06: Actually, there's one request.
• 1:10:46
  SPEAKER_06: My writer, Brandon, he's not here right now, he had to leave, but he's a big fan of yours.
• 1:10:50
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, wow.
• 1:10:51
  SPEAKER_06: And he's a big his parents are a big fan.
• 1:10:53
  SPEAKER_06: So do you mind just looking straight into that camera right here and just saying hi to Brandon and his parents?
• 1:10:58
  SPEAKER_06: He'll love that.
• 1:10:59
  SPEAKER_02: What's up, Brandon?
• 1:11:00
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for following my content.
• 1:11:02
  SPEAKER_02: I also want to give a shout out to your parents uh for following my content as well.
• 1:11:06
  SPEAKER_02: Really appreciate it, and uh look forward to posting more delicious videos for you guys to enjoy.
• 1:11:12
  SPEAKER_03: Yes! Well done.
• 1:11:14
  SPEAKER_06: That's why you're the most respected influencer in Vegas because you do shit like that.
• 1:11:18
  SPEAKER_01: God bless you.
• 1:11:19
  SPEAKER_01: I have a business idea to add to our uh to you writing and me doing the voiceovers.
• 1:11:24
  SPEAKER_01: You've got to start doing cameos.
• 1:11:25
  SPEAKER_01: That was like the best cameo I've ever seen.
• 1:11:27
  SPEAKER_02: You can make some videos.
• 1:11:28
  SPEAKER_02: I've I've done I've done cameo-ish type videos for just followers in the past.
• 1:11:33
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I don't have to charge for it.
• 1:11:35
  SPEAKER_02: It's totally fine.
• 1:11:37
  SPEAKER_02: I paid, I paid like$400 to have Dave Mustaine wish my brother a happy birthday.
• 1:11:41
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 1:11:42
  SPEAKER_02: It was incredible.
• 1:11:43
  SPEAKER_02: Was it dude?
• 1:11:44
  SPEAKER_02: When Mustaine went off for like three minutes on a crazy tangent.
• 1:11:48
  SPEAKER_02: He was washing dishes at one point.
• 1:11:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, holy shit, is he gonna wash dishes the whole time?
• 1:11:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like, oh my god.
• 1:11:53
  SPEAKER_03: What the fuck?
• 1:11:54
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, he sang.
• 1:11:55
  SPEAKER_02: He gave a story about my brother's favorite song, Wake Up Dead.
• 1:11:58
  SPEAKER_02: It was wild.
• 1:11:59
  SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
• 1:11:59
  SPEAKER_02: And that was last year.
• 1:12:00
  SPEAKER_02: How phenomenal.
• 1:12:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:12:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's so awesome.
• 1:12:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, you know, can I ask one uh clarifying question?
• 1:12:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because I might be totally wrong on this.
• 1:12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Andrew keeps saying that your account is Las Vegas Phil.
• 1:12:12
  SPEAKER_01: Isn't it just Vegas Phil?
• 1:12:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's Las Vegas Phil.
• 1:12:16
  SPEAKER_01: But people call me Vegas Phil.
• 1:12:18
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, then that's why I'm misunderstood.
• 1:12:19
  SPEAKER_03: You scared me for a second.
• 1:12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I've I've always called you Vegas Phil.
• 1:12:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, a lot of people, a lot of people just do that.
• 1:12:24
  SPEAKER_02: Or they just, yeah, spell my name out, F-I-L R.
• 1:12:28
  SPEAKER_06: It's funny, especially hanging out with Heather.
• 1:12:30
  SPEAKER_06: She calls people by their handles so many times.
• 1:12:32
  SPEAKER_06: Like it took me forever to learn that Ryu Sauce wasn't the his name was A Paul.
• 1:12:37
  SPEAKER_03: It's Mr.
• 1:12:38
  SPEAKER_03: Sauti.
• 1:12:38
  SPEAKER_03: Mr.
• 1:12:39
  SPEAKER_03: Sauti, goddammit.
• 1:12:41
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I guess that that's that's the world of an influencer, is it known by your handle?
• 1:12:45
  SPEAKER_02: That could be something.
• 1:12:46
  SPEAKER_02: Someone could legally change their name to an at sign.
• 1:12:49
  SPEAKER_02: At sign.
• 1:12:49
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:12:50
  SPEAKER_02: And that'll be dated in about 10 years.
• 1:12:52
  SPEAKER_02: But that would be funny.
• 1:12:53
  SPEAKER_06: Well, make sure to follow Las Vegas, Phil, F-I-L-L, on all the platforms.
• 1:12:58
  SPEAKER_06: Phil, you're a rock star, man.
• 1:12:59
  SPEAKER_06: And I'll see you at pickleball.
• 1:13:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, let's do that.
• 1:13:01
  SPEAKER_02: But thanks for having me.
• 1:13:02
  SPEAKER_02: This was a really fun time, and thanks for digging into the Yelp reviews.
• 1:13:05
  SPEAKER_02: That was uh that was good.
• 1:13:06
  SPEAKER_02: That was a trip.
• 1:13:07
  SPEAKER_06: Let me just read one more, let me one more part of that review that I really liked.
• 1:13:10
  SPEAKER_06: Uh pork fried rice, the best of the worst, and it still lacked a lot of flavor.
• 1:13:15
  SPEAKER_06: You're ruthless, dude.
• 1:13:16
  SPEAKER_06: You're ruthless.
• 1:13:17
  SPEAKER_01: It was really good.
• 1:13:18
  SPEAKER_01: You should go back and read your own reviews.
• 1:13:19
  SPEAKER_01: They're very funny.
• 1:13:20
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, go take a little walk down memory lane.
• 1:13:22
  SPEAKER_06: I might do that.
• 1:13:23
  SPEAKER_06: Do you take edibles?
• 1:13:24
  SPEAKER_06: I do.
• 1:13:24
  SPEAKER_06: Take an edible and go take a little walk down memory lane.
• 1:13:27
  SPEAKER_06: Well, as soon as the edible hits you, I I think I think you you might start crying and maybe be on the show when you do it so we can get you to cry.
• 1:13:34
  SPEAKER_06: Because that's that's the last goal that I need is to have you cry on the episode.
• 1:13:38
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my god.
• 1:13:39
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 1:13:40
  SPEAKER_02: We'll save it for now.
• 1:13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Let's do that.
• 1:13:41
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 1:13:41
  SPEAKER_02: There was no tissue here.
• 1:13:43
  SPEAKER_02: You just want to be a snoring at the end.
• 1:13:46
  SPEAKER_02: Jesus Christ.
• 1:13:47
  SPEAKER_06: Oh man, we'll catch new episodes each week on heybighead.com.
• 1:13:51
  SPEAKER_06: That was so much fun.
• 1:13:52
  SPEAKER_06: Julie, any last words before we get out of here?
• 1:13:54
  SPEAKER_01: No, I'm hungry now.
• 1:13:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so hungry.
• 1:13:55
  SPEAKER_06: Let's go to Shanghardis.
• 1:13:56
  SPEAKER_06: How about that?
• 1:13:57
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go to Ching's Chang's Express.
• 1:14:00
  SPEAKER_06: You go to Chang's Express.
• 1:14:01
  SPEAKER_06: I'm going to Shanghardison doodle.
• 1:14:03
  SPEAKER_01: Fuck that.