EXPERIENCE 240 | Keep Your Burritos Local with Paul Michaelson, Owner of Matador Mexican Grill

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Paul Michelson left an early stage financial planning career track soon after graduating CSU to launch a two location Taco Del Mar franchise in Fort Collins.

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In partnership with his brother-in-law, when the franchisor approved to be more of a hindrance than a help, they split off to become Matador Mexican Grill off harmony in Timberline and Toro.

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A quick serve restaurant on campus West, reliant upon Matador's Kitchen and about 10 trips across the town each day.

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For Paul.

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Toro soon disappeared, but Matador has become a Fort Collins landmark and staple food source for white collar and blue collar takeout and traveler alike.

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My relationship with Matador began when I was a banker at Capital West Bank Kitty Corner across the street, and at least every other Wednesday I would go in for their smothered.

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Burrito, special ghost sauce on the inside and bathing in Matador's Delicious hot green chili.

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Drink two Arnold Palmers while eating my burrito, building a sweat and then a shiver.

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And returning to the office in an altered state was my habit on Wednesdays, and it's been a joy to reconnect with Paul as a collaborator on the Hot Nugs Conversation series with Fort Collins mayoral candidates.

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Paul's is a journey of resilience, dedication, customer loyalty, and continuous deliciousness and creativity.

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So please enjoy as I did my conversation with Paul Michelson.

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Welcome back to the Loco Experience Podcast.

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I'm joined today by Paul Michelson.

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Correct?

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Is that how you say it?

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It's kind of a confusing name.

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'cause it's,

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it's'cause it's simple.

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Well, and there's not, it's it's a rare one.

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Yeah.

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It reeds just like it.

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It's, yeah.

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Apparently it sounds just like a res Right.

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But I ha I see a lot of mickelson.

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Yep.

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Like you don't have the a EL on the Michelson.

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Uh, it's spelled SEN on the n instead of ON, which it's two three different.

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So it's not Michael's son, it's Michael's sin.

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So more like.

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Danish style or something?

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Uh, I believe so, yes.

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'cause I, I think there's Sins and Sons depending, the Norwegians were more the sons and the Danes were more the sins.

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Alright.

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I,

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you look like a Viking kind of of some sort a little bit.

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So you are the owner of Matador Mexican Grill.

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Yes.

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And, uh, you are a collaborator also on the Hot Nugs conversation series.

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Mm-hmm.

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Uh, because of your affinity for making wonderful hot sauces.

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Uh, which I've known for.

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Do you remember?

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Um, me from way back in the day?

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Vaguely.

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Vaguely.

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Yeah.

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Because I worked across Kitty Corner across the street at Capital West Bank.

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Right, right.

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When you were first kind of opened out there.

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Okay.

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Yeah.

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And at least every other Wednesday I would come in for your smothered burrito special.

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Yep.

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Right on.

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Was kind of my thing.

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So

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that's still the most popular, is that right?

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Yep.

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By far.

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That's the busy day.

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Yep.

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Which we could have.

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Four more busy days like that.

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Absolutely.

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Absolutely.

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So, uh, I guess for people that are aren't familiar, tell uh, tell folks about your, your shop.

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Uh, just kind of overview,

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uh, mission style burritos.

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So they're big burritos, rice and beans, meat and all the fixings kinda, uh, the birthplace is, uh, the mission area of San Francisco.

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Okay.

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So little, little south of the bay.

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So that notion

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of like, like having a full meal sized burrito almost.

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Yeah.

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All day burrito,

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uh, Chipotle, Qdoba do something similar, of course locally, big city, um, illegal pizza, so that, that, that kind of giant style.

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Mm-hmm.

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Uh, and it's a kind of choose your own adventure.

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You walk down the line, you point to the ingredients you want, and we make it right in front of you and then roll it up and hopefully you enjoy it.

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Um, how many square feet you got over there?

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A couple thousand.

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Uh, it's pretty small.

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It's actually, uh, 1650.

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Okay.

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So

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with the kitchen and everything?

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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So seating for 40 or something?

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Yeah.

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Right.

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At that, I think without the patio.

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Yeah.

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I think once you hit 40, you need to get an extra bathroom.

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So I think we intentionally shot for 39 or whatever.

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Fair

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enough.

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And probably a lot of go food, a lot of catering, things like that too.

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Or what's your, what's your mix?

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Yeah.

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Um, uh, there's really two different day parts.

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There's the, the morning slash lunch is, uh, pretty heavy in store and then afternoon evenings pretty much takeout for everybody.

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Mm-hmm.

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People grabbing burritos on the way home.

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Right.

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Yeah.

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Uh, catering side picks up, uh, graduation time, uh, summer parties and then Christmas parties.

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Yeah.

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Seasonal, kinda seasonal stuff.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Yeah.

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That's gravy on top and everybody has to work a little harder'cause Right.

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The staffing probably doesn't change too much in those short seasons.

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Yeah.

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You normally, you don't, uh, get to choose when you're gonna do those.

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A lot of'em are just next day and it, the schedule's already out and that's when your,

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uh, head dishwasher roll kicks in more effectively.

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Yes.

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Yeah.

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So when do you find time for all the creativity?

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'cause it seems to me that.

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Your business is definitely a platform for your creativity.

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Uh, y well, when you're, you're around food all the time, you're always talking to people about food.

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You're always doing food things.

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You're watching food shows.

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Uh, and you, you never know when inspiration's gonna hit.

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Uh, I remember one of the sauces that I make is a maple jalapeno sauce.

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You do it for our breakfast britos.

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Mm.

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And uh, I was actually at Sam's Club one time and I was staring at the honey.

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I couldn't remember if we had enough honey or not.

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And I put my arm up and I knocked over a Mrs.

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Butterworth.

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I'm like, well, you put jalapenos in that.

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Mm.

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So very popular sauce and a lot of people love it.

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Yeah, it is great with breakfast burrito.

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So, uh, I mean, you're just kinda always thinking about food.

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You, you're kinda a fat kid, so it just never stops.

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It's just goes in there.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Um, and staff of probably, what, a dozen or something?

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A little more than now?

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Uh, 17 right now.

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17.

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Okay.

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Uh, and mostly part-timers kind of rotating shifts or more, more full-time.

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Uh, actually more full-timers we've got, uh, okay.

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So we'll be, uh, 16 in October.

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Okay.

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And, uh, I, we've got half a dozen people that have been there for 10 plus years.

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Wow.

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So, uh, most of the staff doesn't change very often.

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Yeah.

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Uh, we'll get some high school, college kids, part-timers kind of rolling through the evenings, weekends, uh, but the core has really been there for most of it.

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Really.

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That's

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really cool.

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And how many are on at a time, typically, like, full, full team on deck for the lunch rush on Wednesday?

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Yeah.

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We'll, we'll run four, we'll have three on the line and then we'll guy in the kitchen.

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Okay.

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Uh, dinners will usually drop down to three.

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Okay.

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Uh, and then three to close to finish it off.

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Okay.

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Um, and what's your most popular,

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uh, you know, uh, I, I call it the bro Rito'cause all the high school kids get it.

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Okay.

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The, uh, jalapeno cheddar tortilla, white rice, black beans, queso chicken.

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Just like that.

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Yep.

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So even though we try creative and fun stuff all the time, it's still grilled chicken is always the number one.

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Is that

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right?

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Yeah.

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I didn't realize, I thought, I thought beef was a lot heavier in nutrition than chicken on almost full spectrum.

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But chicken ounce rounds on protein especially is magnificent.

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Right.

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You know, it doesn't have the multivitamins, this and that, but you know, it's a lot cheaper than beef these days, which is a good population.

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Yeah.

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I imagine you have to charge more for your beef even than you used to, or do you have to keep it paired?

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Any kinda, um, few smaller scoops.

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Well, I've tried really hard not to shrink ation anything.

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Right.

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Keep it, keep, uh, people consistent with what they're getting.

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Uh, and that, that's just one of those things that goes up and down.

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You can never predict when it's gonna happen.

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Just kind of, kind of hold to it a

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little bit.

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Yeah.

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Some days it's great, some days it's not.

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So.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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So it goes, so what, what, uh, what.

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Caused you to get into the burrito business.

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Like what was the setting I want set me, set the stage for me and we'll go back into the, all the way back machine at some point, you know, uh, set the stage for when Matador first opened.

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You said 16 years

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ago?

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16 years ago.

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But prior to that, um, my brother-in-law, uh, his uncle is a subway guy.

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He owns a bunch of subways in Nebraska.

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Oh, okay.

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South Dakota.

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Um, I don't even know.

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Dozens and dozens.

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Yeah.

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Did really good at it.

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'cause he is got a really nice car and all that.

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Right?

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Absolutely.

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Um, and then he was approached by a franchise called Taco Delmar.

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They're based outta Seattle.

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Yeah.

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Uh, very similar to Subway.

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Yeah.

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There's one in Longmont I've stopped at before.

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I think.

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Um, I think they're all.

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All West Coast.

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Now they've, they've had some issues, but, oh, is that right?

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So, uh, he was approached by those guys because it's very similar to the Subway model.

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That's what they were trying to copy.

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Yeah.

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And, uh, he decided he was gonna open a few in Nebraska.

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He said, Hey guys, this looks like fun.

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You should, yeah.

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Get in.

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We can, you know, grow together with this thing.

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So, uh, we opened up Taco del Mar.

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Okay.

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There's one next to Jim's wings.

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Okay.

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James West.

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And then the one, the location we're at now.

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Oh.

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On Harmony and Timberland.

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Okay.

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And, uh, it just wasn't gonna work.

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Didn't catch on.

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No, it was, it was subway model, so everything was microwave food.

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Everything was pre-made.

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Like we didn't have any kit kitchen time, no prep time, like everything came.

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Oh, gross.

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Yeah.

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And I, I was a finance guy when I, I went, that's went to school for finance and economics, so I didn't know what I was doing.

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So.

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And

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what was your place in life?

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Were you, um, like, had you worked in restaurants and things too, or Not really?

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Some fast food in high school, but yeah, it was

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never, uh, never a restaurant guy.

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But you were a finance guy, so you were quickly seeing the, the bloody red ink on the bottom of your profit loss.

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Right,

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right.

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So, uh, we ended up taking them to arbitration and, uh, to, to break our contract.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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And since we had invested so much time and money, we just decided we're gonna do our own thing after this, if we can finish this off.

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So.

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We were able to break off from them.

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Okay.

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Uh, and then we created Matador.

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Okay.

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And, uh, had no idea.

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So like, why

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you're fighting with them to break off.

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You're like, how about a bull with a circle around it or something like that?

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Uh, traded, uh, a, a loyal customer, some fish tacos for her expertise in the logo.

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So it was great.

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Uh, I got

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my first logo for$75.

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So it sounds like you need to do better.

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Yep.

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Your stock

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is your universal delicious food.

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So, uh, but it, it took so long to finish the arbitration.

00:09:59.591 --> 00:10:08.501
We didn't know when we were gonna actually break out or if we could Oh, so you started even before, so kind of, I mean, you know, started Washing Food Network and your Okay.

00:10:08.591 --> 00:10:10.542
You know, I didn't really know what else to do.

00:10:10.542 --> 00:10:15.072
I'm still having to run the restaurant full time, so I'm, you know, watching videos on YouTube.

00:10:15.076 --> 00:10:15.356
Yeah.

00:10:15.461 --> 00:10:15.672
Yeah.

00:10:15.731 --> 00:10:17.802
Uh, trying to learn anything I can about food and.

00:10:18.341 --> 00:10:21.072
I mean, I was a mediocre cook at best.

00:10:21.162 --> 00:10:21.192
Okay.

00:10:21.251 --> 00:10:23.147
I don't know to argue now, but Yeah.

00:10:23.152 --> 00:10:23.442
Yeah.

00:10:23.442 --> 00:10:25.062
Uh, going into this, so, yeah.

00:10:25.062 --> 00:10:25.072
Yeah.

00:10:25.241 --> 00:10:27.461
Uh, it was really just kinda all exploded at once.

00:10:27.461 --> 00:10:28.782
It happened basically overnight.

00:10:28.782 --> 00:10:29.501
We weren't ready for it.

00:10:30.101 --> 00:10:32.711
Uh, so we closed down for about three weeks.

00:10:32.741 --> 00:10:33.101
Okay.

00:10:33.341 --> 00:10:34.991
Painted it, got new equipment.

00:10:35.052 --> 00:10:35.322
Yep.

00:10:35.652 --> 00:10:38.981
Uh, one thing with Taco Delmar was there was no grease trap.

00:10:39.011 --> 00:10:39.942
There was no vent hood.

00:10:40.331 --> 00:10:40.422
Right.

00:10:40.631 --> 00:10:41.711
So it was just all microwave.

00:10:41.711 --> 00:10:45.341
So we had to, we had to basically learn how to cook and we had to put a kitchen in the spot we, we were in.

00:10:45.552 --> 00:10:45.642
Mm-hmm.

00:10:45.942 --> 00:10:47.621
So that's kind of why our spot's so small.

00:10:47.711 --> 00:10:47.981
Mm.

00:10:48.011 --> 00:10:48.402
Seating wise.

00:10:48.402 --> 00:10:48.611
'cause we

00:10:48.611 --> 00:10:49.572
didn't need that room.

00:10:49.601 --> 00:10:50.142
Yeah.

00:10:50.142 --> 00:10:50.152
Yeah.

00:10:50.471 --> 00:10:50.981
For the kitchen.

00:10:50.981 --> 00:10:51.942
'cause it just didn't exist.

00:10:51.942 --> 00:10:52.062
Do

00:10:52.062 --> 00:10:53.922
you feel like it could constrained by the size?

00:10:53.922 --> 00:10:56.802
Like should you have, or is it just more space, more money?

00:10:57.432 --> 00:11:00.761
Um, there's days Wednesday you definitely want some more space in the right.

00:11:01.631 --> 00:11:07.091
Um, I, I think if there's more room, I think people would probably be more apt to, to stay.

00:11:07.572 --> 00:11:07.782
Yeah.

00:11:07.841 --> 00:11:13.961
Instead of go, I, I can definitely see on a busier lunchtime, uh, people look around and go, well, I'll take it to go today.

00:11:14.022 --> 00:11:14.201
Yeah.

00:11:14.201 --> 00:11:14.471
Yeah.

00:11:14.652 --> 00:11:17.261
So, but more, more take it to go than.

00:11:17.846 --> 00:11:18.836
Walk back outside.

00:11:18.927 --> 00:11:19.616
Right, right.

00:11:19.677 --> 00:11:29.006
So that's a compliment to your chefs as well, I would say, you know, and, and the relative, like, actually there's pretty good restaurants down in that corridor now.

00:11:29.006 --> 00:11:32.096
Like when you opened you were like, nobody, there was nobody.

00:11:32.096 --> 00:11:32.517
Yeah.

00:11:32.606 --> 00:11:35.126
Uh, I mean, there was a few, but not much.

00:11:35.606 --> 00:11:38.667
Uh, now there's like, probably five does pretty good food over there.

00:11:38.726 --> 00:11:38.787
Yeah.

00:11:38.787 --> 00:11:44.336
And, uh, oh, even the Down by Ace Hardware, the Mexican restaurant there.

00:11:44.427 --> 00:11:45.746
Uh, Lebo.

00:11:45.746 --> 00:11:45.756
Navita.

00:11:45.777 --> 00:11:46.106
Yeah.

00:11:46.111 --> 00:11:46.131
Yeah.

00:11:46.706 --> 00:11:47.636
I like that shop too.

00:11:47.642 --> 00:11:47.892
Yeah.

00:11:47.897 --> 00:11:47.996
Yeah.

00:11:48.057 --> 00:11:50.636
It feels like a Mexican resort to be there.

00:11:50.636 --> 00:11:53.397
They're just very polished and very well-trained staff.

00:11:53.456 --> 00:11:53.937
All that absolute.

00:11:54.537 --> 00:12:00.211
So, uh, so you're going through this mayhem, but bring it together like, uh, well, the,

00:12:00.236 --> 00:12:01.256
the numbers still weren't there.

00:12:01.346 --> 00:12:01.767
Okay.

00:12:01.767 --> 00:12:06.537
We knew we still weren't good enough, so it was just kinda one of those things where we're gonna look at every single item we have.

00:12:07.091 --> 00:12:08.501
We're gonna try and make the recipe better.

00:12:08.652 --> 00:12:08.861
Mm.

00:12:09.251 --> 00:12:10.211
And then we're gonna go to the next one.

00:12:10.841 --> 00:12:14.621
And then slowly over the course of months we started dialing stuff in and more people trying.

00:12:14.621 --> 00:12:15.746
So just continuous improvement project.

00:12:16.062 --> 00:12:16.331
Yeah.

00:12:16.331 --> 00:12:19.392
So it took us about two years to really get moving.

00:12:19.481 --> 00:12:19.812
Okay.

00:12:20.172 --> 00:12:25.241
And then once we hit that point, you know, sales were good enough to, to keep doing it and keep fighting.

00:12:25.272 --> 00:12:30.881
So, um, and then, you know, but it was a couple years really of getting it, was it to the Black ink, even

00:12:30.881 --> 00:12:32.652
without the franchise fees and all that.

00:12:32.682 --> 00:12:32.951
Right.

00:12:33.701 --> 00:12:35.471
Well, glad you made it.

00:12:35.591 --> 00:12:35.922
Yeah.

00:12:36.942 --> 00:12:37.121
It would

00:12:37.121 --> 00:12:40.902
be weird to not have a Matador in town, I think for, I would feel kind of awkward about it, but, well,

00:12:40.902 --> 00:12:42.642
and you eventually did an expansion.

00:12:43.017 --> 00:12:44.996
To a campus West thing too?

00:12:45.267 --> 00:12:46.647
Or was that part of the Taco de Marr?

00:12:46.647 --> 00:12:47.667
That was the Taco del Mar.

00:12:47.726 --> 00:12:50.336
Oh, so both locations were Matador for a while?

00:12:50.427 --> 00:12:51.866
Well, we couldn't put something, a

00:12:51.866 --> 00:12:55.076
kitchen into the campus West store, so we called that one Toro.

00:12:55.287 --> 00:12:56.096
Oh, Toro.

00:12:56.096 --> 00:12:56.996
That's what I, okay.

00:12:56.996 --> 00:12:57.807
Now I remember.

00:12:57.956 --> 00:13:02.187
Toro's a, uh, mission District Burrito joint in San Francisco is fantastic.

00:13:02.336 --> 00:13:02.756
We wanted to try.

00:13:02.761 --> 00:13:02.912
Okay.

00:13:02.917 --> 00:13:03.147
Okay.

00:13:03.147 --> 00:13:03.267
So

00:13:03.267 --> 00:13:07.106
we did do a, a pilgrimage to the Mission district before we opened to Gotcha, gotcha.

00:13:07.136 --> 00:13:09.386
Just eat as many burritos as we can to see what everyone else is doing.

00:13:09.447 --> 00:13:09.657
Yeah.

00:13:09.657 --> 00:13:09.927
Yeah.

00:13:10.557 --> 00:13:11.576
So market research.

00:13:11.966 --> 00:13:16.826
We didn't want to ruin the Matador name by having that weird off restaurant.

00:13:16.826 --> 00:13:20.726
So we were actually cooking all the food at the Harmony store and I would drive it over there every day.

00:13:21.206 --> 00:13:21.596
Interesting.

00:13:21.596 --> 00:13:23.037
And we warm it back up almost like a food

00:13:23.037 --> 00:13:23.996
truck over there or something.

00:13:23.996 --> 00:13:24.057
Yeah.

00:13:24.057 --> 00:13:25.047
But that was pretty short lived.

00:13:25.422 --> 00:13:29.711
That was'cause you had a lease on the Taco de Mar place anyway, so you might as well try it.

00:13:29.772 --> 00:13:30.192
Right.

00:13:30.192 --> 00:13:31.481
And we were doing okay over there.

00:13:31.481 --> 00:13:34.152
We were making enough money to, to at least keep, pay the rent,

00:13:34.182 --> 00:13:34.601
whatever.

00:13:34.662 --> 00:13:34.902
Yeah.

00:13:35.052 --> 00:13:39.491
So, but you weren't passionate about that kind of concept and the food just not being as fresh and stuff.

00:13:39.552 --> 00:13:40.751
Yeah, and it was such a pain.

00:13:40.751 --> 00:13:46.361
Some days I had to drive back and forth three times because was like, we were outta a chicken, we had a steak, you guys are killing me.

00:13:48.251 --> 00:13:54.611
Um, and so, and then so kind of just came back down to one store and just called, called it good.

00:13:54.611 --> 00:14:02.471
Have you had dreams of expansion or you got a great brand and a model, but maybe it's not that easy.

00:14:02.471 --> 00:14:07.001
I, I think we need to make sure our processes are written down in black and white.

00:14:07.692 --> 00:14:08.772
You know, so you've got all these long time

00:14:08.772 --> 00:14:10.091
employees and stuff like that.

00:14:10.121 --> 00:14:10.361
Right.

00:14:10.361 --> 00:14:14.351
And make that not, yeah, it's an email and everyone already knows what's going on, so it's, it's not big deal.

00:14:15.042 --> 00:14:17.292
That's an interesting thing, just creating an environment where I.

00:14:18.567 --> 00:14:20.547
You know, you have this kinda long-term effect.

00:14:20.547 --> 00:14:24.386
And even when you have new employees, the long-term employees are like, Nope, Bob.

00:14:24.386 --> 00:14:25.136
We don't do it that way.

00:14:25.167 --> 00:14:25.376
Right.

00:14:25.376 --> 00:14:26.067
You know, whatever.

00:14:26.126 --> 00:14:26.397
Yeah.

00:14:26.846 --> 00:14:36.567
Um, tell me some of the main things you've learned, like from a like finance perspective coming in, especially sounds like where you, uh, a local graduate?

00:14:37.167 --> 00:14:37.557
Uh, yeah.

00:14:37.557 --> 00:14:38.246
I went to CSU.

00:14:38.307 --> 00:14:38.576
Okay.

00:14:38.937 --> 00:14:42.746
Um, my first, um, big boy job in finance.

00:14:42.746 --> 00:14:45.417
I got, uh, interviewed on September 11th, 2001.

00:14:45.476 --> 00:14:45.657
Oh.

00:14:46.346 --> 00:14:51.687
I was actually, uh, gonna drive my wife to work and take her car to Denver for the interview.

00:14:52.136 --> 00:14:52.167
Okay.

00:14:52.167 --> 00:14:54.807
And they were gonna open an office, Fort Collins that I was gonna hopefully be a part of.

00:14:55.317 --> 00:14:57.236
And while I was waiting for her to get ready.

00:14:57.267 --> 00:14:57.746
Oh, no way.

00:14:57.746 --> 00:14:58.496
Watching tv.

00:14:58.496 --> 00:15:03.657
And then it happened, and then I'm driving to Denver and I called him and I'm like, are we still doing this?

00:15:03.657 --> 00:15:04.496
Like, yeah, it's still on.

00:15:05.022 --> 00:15:06.221
Like, we don't know what's going on either.

00:15:06.282 --> 00:15:06.581
Yeah.

00:15:06.701 --> 00:15:10.361
And I get down there and they're like, well, let's just go in the conference room and watch the news and see what happens.

00:15:10.812 --> 00:15:14.322
And then after a couple hours of that, they're like, well, I, we're done for a while.

00:15:14.682 --> 00:15:18.761
We, the stock market's closed, so we're we don't have any work.

00:15:18.761 --> 00:15:19.721
If you have the job, you got it.

00:15:20.621 --> 00:15:24.851
And I'm like, okay, well I, I have to take some licensing stuff and Okay.

00:15:24.942 --> 00:15:28.511
Series, series 6 63, whatever, uh, life insurance.

00:15:28.751 --> 00:15:30.611
So I got time to study'cause the stock market's closed.

00:15:30.611 --> 00:15:31.001
It's great.

00:15:31.601 --> 00:15:38.772
Uh, they ended up opening a Fort Collins office and then they just fought through people and then, uh, kind of did.

00:15:38.772 --> 00:15:39.371
Okay.

00:15:39.611 --> 00:15:39.672
Yeah.

00:15:39.672 --> 00:15:43.511
And then that's when my brother-in-law approached me and it's like, you know, gotcha.

00:15:43.812 --> 00:15:44.682
We have another option here.

00:15:44.682 --> 00:15:46.062
We can make money on this side.

00:15:46.241 --> 00:15:46.422
Yeah.

00:15:46.422 --> 00:15:46.662
Yeah.

00:15:46.721 --> 00:15:47.501
And have a little fun with it.

00:15:47.501 --> 00:15:48.552
And I'm like, oh, let's, let's do it.

00:15:48.557 --> 00:15:48.716
Yeah.

00:15:48.716 --> 00:15:48.797
Yeah.

00:15:48.797 --> 00:15:50.231
It sounds more exciting than what I'm doing now.

00:15:50.231 --> 00:15:50.471
So

00:15:50.591 --> 00:15:51.822
has that been, uh.

00:15:52.961 --> 00:15:55.692
Like all consuming a lot the whole time?

00:15:55.692 --> 00:15:57.881
Or do you get to kind of goof around?

00:15:57.881 --> 00:16:00.371
Do you take two weeks off, three weeks off a lot?

00:16:00.371 --> 00:16:02.892
Or is that head dishwasher thing always valid?

00:16:03.402 --> 00:16:06.552
Uh, no, like I said, we do have fantastic people working there.

00:16:06.642 --> 00:16:06.761
Yeah.

00:16:06.767 --> 00:16:09.162
So I can walk away and, and, and be okay.

00:16:09.282 --> 00:16:09.491
Yeah.

00:16:09.761 --> 00:16:15.522
Um, there's a lot of things though that like a lot of the hot sauce recipes aren't even written down anywhere.

00:16:16.121 --> 00:16:21.792
So if I go away for too long, I have to make a giant batch of sauce that's gonna last for the entire time that I'm out.

00:16:22.302 --> 00:16:22.871
Or, you know.

00:16:23.022 --> 00:16:23.111
Is

00:16:23.111 --> 00:16:24.491
it like the Coca-Cola recipe?

00:16:24.491 --> 00:16:25.001
The what?

00:16:25.241 --> 00:16:25.572
Yeah.

00:16:25.812 --> 00:16:28.121
I mean, I was justing the day,

00:16:28.542 --> 00:16:43.001
like, the funny thing is like, say you're making a jalapeno maple sauce, but some batches of jalapeno have like all the flavor or all the spice or all the both, and some batches you need twice as much probably just to get the same kind of flavor profile.

00:16:43.032 --> 00:16:43.302
Right.

00:16:43.932 --> 00:16:49.601
Uh, that's the one kind of neat thing about hot sauce is you throw everything in a pot, blend it up, taste it, you know, if it's not right.

00:16:49.631 --> 00:16:49.812
Yeah.

00:16:49.812 --> 00:16:50.501
You just add more to it.

00:16:50.501 --> 00:16:51.131
It's like making chili.

00:16:51.221 --> 00:16:51.522
Just kidding.

00:16:51.522 --> 00:16:51.642
Yeah.

00:16:52.076 --> 00:16:53.126
Keep tweaking it and going forth.

00:16:53.126 --> 00:16:54.836
So it's always fun to do.

00:16:55.167 --> 00:17:08.547
What's your, is that like part of your, like instead of having a, a multiple location or trying to spawn a franchise or something like that, you've really had maybe some investment in the product side in, uh, yeah.

00:17:08.936 --> 00:17:12.237
Both your own and making hot sauce for Sean and things like that?

00:17:12.237 --> 00:17:14.307
Or is that more just a one off?

00:17:14.396 --> 00:17:20.817
Well, no, I think it's something that's, uh, really trying to offset the, the unpredictability of what's going on with restaurants right now.

00:17:20.846 --> 00:17:21.267
Right.

00:17:21.926 --> 00:17:24.807
Um, with COVI was weird.

00:17:24.957 --> 00:17:30.626
Everything's been weird since then and things are happening in the restaurant industry that I have no idea what's gonna be next.

00:17:31.017 --> 00:17:33.626
You've got people like Chili's are killing it really?

00:17:33.626 --> 00:17:34.856
Applebee's is getting crushed.

00:17:35.126 --> 00:17:35.696
Like they're what?

00:17:35.757 --> 00:17:37.467
They're the same thing in my mind.

00:17:37.856 --> 00:17:39.507
So, I mean, there's just stuff like that.

00:17:39.626 --> 00:17:40.676
Chipotle's doing really well.

00:17:41.156 --> 00:17:42.987
Um, kedo is doing really well.

00:17:43.811 --> 00:17:52.247
Um, and then you had stuff with Chipotle, like, uh, in, in, no offense to them, I know they're a great clean organization, but they had problems with some food poisoning and, and some, yeah, yeah.

00:17:52.422 --> 00:17:52.751
Issues.

00:17:52.932 --> 00:17:54.672
And they don't seem to get tarnished by that at all.

00:17:54.731 --> 00:17:55.961
Like people just go back in droves.

00:17:56.412 --> 00:17:56.652
Right.

00:17:56.711 --> 00:17:57.311
Which is great.

00:17:57.311 --> 00:17:57.912
I mean, good for them.

00:17:58.511 --> 00:17:58.811
Yeah.

00:17:59.201 --> 00:18:01.061
Uh, but normally like Jack and you, you,

00:18:01.067 --> 00:18:01.872
you kinda get away with that.

00:18:01.902 --> 00:18:02.892
No, I would be crushed.

00:18:03.011 --> 00:18:03.311
Yeah.

00:18:03.461 --> 00:18:07.902
Uh, Jack in the box years ago had, uh, some deaths in the Denver area.

00:18:08.172 --> 00:18:08.981
They had Oh, I remember that.

00:18:09.582 --> 00:18:11.922
Uh, I don't know how many locations, A dozen locations.

00:18:11.922 --> 00:18:14.531
And then I think, uh, two or three young people died.

00:18:14.592 --> 00:18:14.981
Mm-hmm.

00:18:15.251 --> 00:18:18.551
Um, and then they ended up closing like all the restaurants in Colorado.

00:18:18.557 --> 00:18:18.606
Right.00:18:19.811 --> 00:18:22.632


So, I mean, it, that's kind of some crazy scary stuff.00:18:22.662 --> 00:18:27.372


So, um, some of those things affect people, some of'em don't, it doesn't make any sense.00:18:27.372 --> 00:18:27.612


Yeah.00:18:27.612 --> 00:18:31.182


Like all the stuff that I thought I knew about restaurants, I, I don't know if I know anymore.00:18:31.422 --> 00:18:31.511


Yeah.00:18:31.511 --> 00:18:36.281


I don't think I,'cause I, I had left banking to try to get into the restaurant industry.00:18:36.281 --> 00:18:42.132


I don't know if you remember that, the food trailer or that around town, but I don't know if I recognize the liability of that.00:18:42.807 --> 00:18:43.017


Right.00:18:43.017 --> 00:18:45.987


Like you're running on low margins and stuff already.00:18:46.196 --> 00:18:46.436


Yeah.00:18:46.527 --> 00:18:49.797


And I imagine that's kind of worked into your insurance policy a little bit, right?00:18:49.801 --> 00:18:49.811


Sure.00:18:49.856 --> 00:18:55.436


Like you just pay more insurance than it feels like you should, but part of that is you might just kill somebody if you're lucky.00:18:55.467 --> 00:18:58.977


Maybe it'll be a few people if you're unlucky, you know,00:18:58.977 --> 00:19:00.626


not you, but people.00:19:01.257 --> 00:19:05.517


Well, one thing about our, our, uh, system at Matador is everything's pretty, pretty simple.00:19:06.027 --> 00:19:08.436


Um, pretty bulletproof in terms of our process operations.00:19:08.436 --> 00:19:08.922


You get the hot going00:19:08.942 --> 00:19:10.001


or the cold cold, right?00:19:10.017 --> 00:19:10.527


Um,00:19:10.527 --> 00:19:15.656


yeah, some places, uh, like serve raw seafood, you know, you've got a whole another host of issues, right?00:19:15.807 --> 00:19:16.106


Right.00:19:16.616 --> 00:19:20.606


Uh, staying away from things like that puts, puts your mind at ease a little bit too.00:19:20.606 --> 00:19:31.166


Well, and just having a fresh first approach to everything, right, like that was kind of what part of why Toro didn't survive is'cause it didn't feel right to not have a fresh first kind of approach.00:19:31.227 --> 00:19:31.467


Right.00:19:31.467 --> 00:19:35.277


And people see a microwave and they're like, mm, I can do that at home.00:19:35.277 --> 00:19:36.297


I'm not paying you for it.00:19:36.416 --> 00:19:36.747


Fair enough.00:19:36.747 --> 00:19:37.586


It's just not nothing.00:19:37.977 --> 00:19:41.277


Um, let's zoom back to, uh, to little Paul.00:19:41.832 --> 00:19:42.221


Can we?00:19:42.372 --> 00:19:42.852


Yeah, sure.00:19:42.882 --> 00:19:46.362


Like a 5-year-old Paul.00:19:46.422 --> 00:19:50.471


Where, where, uh, where were you and what was kind of your family dynamic?00:19:50.471 --> 00:19:52.182


Were you from a family of entrepreneurs?00:19:52.811 --> 00:19:53.501


Uh,00:19:53.531 --> 00:19:54.011


no.00:19:54.011 --> 00:19:58.511


When I was, uh, probably four-ish, my, uh, parents got divorced.00:19:58.511 --> 00:20:00.132


So raised by a single mom with grandma.00:20:00.311 --> 00:20:00.612


Okay.00:20:00.942 --> 00:20:02.172


Here, here, regionally.00:20:02.442 --> 00:20:03.402


Uh, born in Denver.00:20:03.551 --> 00:20:03.791


Okay.00:20:03.821 --> 00:20:08.741


Um, and then moved to like Steamboat area during high school for a little bit of time.00:20:08.747 --> 00:20:11.471


Did, did you keep a relationship with, with your dad too?00:20:11.711 --> 00:20:12.372


Uh, yeah.00:20:12.432 --> 00:20:12.582


Yeah.00:20:12.582 --> 00:20:13.271


Some, okay.00:20:13.271 --> 00:20:13.541


A little bit.00:20:13.541 --> 00:20:15.551


But mostly was raised with your, with your mom.00:20:15.612 --> 00:20:15.971


Right.00:20:16.271 --> 00:20:23.922


And then, uh, grandma was really close by as well, so, uh, spent a lot of, you know, summertime with mom's at work with grandma.00:20:24.041 --> 00:20:24.372


Sure.00:20:24.612 --> 00:20:26.291


Uh, so she was kinda the babysitter for us.00:20:26.741 --> 00:20:29.082


Um, I just wanted to be Luke Skywalker.00:20:29.382 --> 00:20:30.527


That's all I really remember about00:20:31.076 --> 00:20:31.932


that, was about that time.00:20:31.932 --> 00:20:32.981


When can you circle me?00:20:32.981 --> 00:20:33.582


It feels like I'm.00:20:33.882 --> 00:20:36.162


Five or 10 years older than you probably, but I don't know.00:20:36.281 --> 00:20:37.511


Um, I'm 49.00:20:37.692 --> 00:20:38.172


Oh, you are?00:20:38.172 --> 00:20:38.832


I'm 51.00:20:39.281 --> 00:20:41.771


Uh, first movie I saw in theaters though was Return to Jedi.00:20:41.771 --> 00:20:41.951


Okay.00:20:42.011 --> 00:20:43.606


And that was the coolest thing I heard.00:20:43.926 --> 00:20:44.771


It was the coolest thing ever.00:20:44.771 --> 00:20:45.251


That was amazing.00:20:45.731 --> 00:20:47.622


Um, so that was it.00:20:47.622 --> 00:20:51.521


Just playing, playing games with friends and playing Star Wars and that was it.00:20:52.001 --> 00:20:59.112


My, my dad was a motorcycle mechanic that started a farm evenings and weekends and was really just busy working all the time.00:20:59.291 --> 00:20:59.442


Yeah.00:20:59.501 --> 00:21:08.471


But Star Wars was one of the earliest things I remember really bonding with my dad over was our mutual love of Star Wars back in the day.00:21:08.832 --> 00:21:11.561


You know, so I, I never really voiced that.00:21:12.146 --> 00:21:14.247


Thought before, but it's interesting to me.00:21:14.606 --> 00:21:16.856


So you're, are, you're in Denver still?00:21:16.856 --> 00:21:18.116


Did you say Steamboat somewhere?00:21:18.176 --> 00:21:18.686


Uh, yeah.00:21:18.686 --> 00:21:21.596


I went to high school in, uh, a little town south of Steamboat called Oak Creek.00:21:21.686 --> 00:21:22.076


Okay.00:21:22.166 --> 00:21:22.406


Yep.00:21:22.467 --> 00:21:23.936


Um, been through there on my motorcycle.00:21:23.936 --> 00:21:25.346


It's a nice motorcycle road over there.00:21:25.376 --> 00:21:26.037


Yeah, absolutely.00:21:26.037 --> 00:21:27.686


Actually they got a great little tavern in there.00:21:27.686 --> 00:21:28.646


I stopped at last time.00:21:28.676 --> 00:21:31.196


Fun place to, to finish growing up, I guess.00:21:31.196 --> 00:21:31.317


Mm-hmm.00:21:31.557 --> 00:21:33.116


Through high school, uh, then, but you were00:21:33.116 --> 00:21:36.446


in Denver proper while you, let's, let's go back to your, that area.00:21:36.507 --> 00:21:37.737


So west side a little bit.00:21:37.737 --> 00:21:39.386


Did your mom stay single?00:21:39.836 --> 00:21:44.997


Do you Um, I wanna say I was 11 or 12 when she, uh, remarried.00:21:45.057 --> 00:21:45.356


Okay.00:21:45.656 --> 00:21:48.807


Um, uh, Jim, he's, he's dad now.00:21:48.987 --> 00:21:49.166


Cool.00:21:49.166 --> 00:21:53.307


Um, uh, he's an electrician up every day at six o'clock in the morning climbing ladders.00:21:53.787 --> 00:21:55.106


Busted his butt doing stuff.00:21:55.106 --> 00:21:55.166


Yeah.00:21:55.257 --> 00:22:00.326


Uh, always was the first to do dishes'cause his hands were dirty when he got home, so he was, might as well00:22:00.326 --> 00:22:00.836


do dishes.00:22:00.836 --> 00:22:02.906


It'll get my hands a lot cleaner than they otherwise would be.00:22:03.446 --> 00:22:09.356


Uh, so part of being the head dishwasher, he taught me absolutely everything about electrical and plumbing and because he.00:22:10.797 --> 00:22:12.987


One of those things that if it's broken, we can try and fix it.00:22:13.017 --> 00:22:13.076


Yeah.00:22:13.076 --> 00:22:13.977


It's already broken, so.00:22:13.981 --> 00:22:14.211


Yeah.00:22:14.217 --> 00:22:14.426


Yeah.00:22:14.457 --> 00:22:14.906


Why not?00:22:14.906 --> 00:22:17.007


And you know, you don't have a lot of money to go buy a new one.00:22:17.037 --> 00:22:17.547


Right.00:22:17.606 --> 00:22:18.807


So we'll figure it out.00:22:18.896 --> 00:22:19.346


Yeah.00:22:19.436 --> 00:22:21.207


I've gotten kind of lazy that way.00:22:21.207 --> 00:22:29.307


Like when I was, you know, in my first few years of marriage and stuff, I was retiling bathroom showers and Sure.00:22:29.396 --> 00:22:33.807


You know, re sheet rocking walls and learning how to do all these different things.00:22:33.807 --> 00:22:37.676


And even trying my hand at some electrical stuff that was way above my pay grade.00:22:37.767 --> 00:22:38.067


Right.00:22:38.727 --> 00:22:48.987


And now I'm just like, eh, I'll just kind of pay somebody 250 bucks to do that instead, or a thousand bucks or, but it would be better for me if I just did a lot of that for myself.00:22:48.987 --> 00:22:49.856


Kids is nice.00:22:49.946 --> 00:22:52.826


Having kids is nice because you can teach them while they do it.00:22:52.916 --> 00:22:53.547


Oh yeah.00:22:53.636 --> 00:22:54.926


And you just kind of coach sometimes.00:22:54.987 --> 00:22:55.287


Were you00:22:55.511 --> 00:22:57.866


a, a, a only child in this?00:22:58.166 --> 00:23:00.656


Oh, actually I'm the youngest of, of seven.00:23:01.076 --> 00:23:07.227


So I was uh, what, um, half brothers and sisters for the first five, and then I have sister and your dad's kids or your Yeah.00:23:07.231 --> 00:23:07.432


Dad's.00:23:08.156 --> 00:23:12.926


Oh, so you kind of maintain a relationship with your siblings, uh, along the way, but also then, right.00:23:12.926 --> 00:23:16.166


And then how many with your mom during the, her single years?00:23:16.196 --> 00:23:17.632


My sister and I, so Oh, just the two.00:23:17.632 --> 00:23:17.642


Okay.00:23:17.727 --> 00:23:20.396


Um, she's four and a half years older than me, so I'm Okay.00:23:20.396 --> 00:23:21.537


I'm the baby by ways.00:23:21.596 --> 00:23:22.557


Gotcha, gotcha.00:23:22.737 --> 00:23:23.037


Yeah.00:23:23.037 --> 00:23:25.317


So you're like the trailing indicator on Right.00:23:26.517 --> 00:23:27.416


Marriage or whatever.00:23:28.646 --> 00:23:30.507


So she remarries Jim, did you say?00:23:30.507 --> 00:23:30.957


Or John, yeah.00:23:30.987 --> 00:23:32.636


And he became dad pretty quickly.00:23:32.636 --> 00:23:33.446


Pretty cool guy.00:23:33.747 --> 00:23:34.076


Yeah.00:23:34.196 --> 00:23:38.096


Um, you know, fishing, camping, all the fun stuff you wanna do when you're a kid.00:23:38.186 --> 00:23:39.086


So dig it, dig it.00:23:39.116 --> 00:23:39.747


Um, and then you00:23:39.747 --> 00:23:40.676


get to move up to Oak00:23:40.676 --> 00:23:42.386


Creek and then it was 24 7.00:23:42.386 --> 00:23:42.957


It never stops.00:23:43.287 --> 00:23:45.686


Like, you can't turn around and not climb a mountain somewhere.00:23:45.747 --> 00:23:45.957


Just00:23:45.957 --> 00:23:46.497


like, yeah.00:23:47.307 --> 00:23:48.057


Almost overload.00:23:48.057 --> 00:23:48.926


'cause it was so much fun up there.00:23:48.926 --> 00:23:52.227


But yeah, I would definitely, sounds like you miss it a little bit.00:23:52.227 --> 00:23:52.856


I, I do.00:23:52.916 --> 00:23:55.676


Uh, if, if I thought I could make a living there, I would go back and.00:23:55.971 --> 00:23:57.301


Well, and jump in there for sure.00:23:57.301 --> 00:23:57.596


Well, if00:23:57.596 --> 00:24:02.906


you had a matador up there, then you could drive back and forth with emergency food deliveries.00:24:04.442 --> 00:24:08.461


You, you could probably, uh, do fairly well with the restaurant Steamboat, but I creek's probably, I think so.00:24:08.461 --> 00:24:09.057


The right kind of thing.00:24:09.057 --> 00:24:10.707


I don't know if there's a Yeah.00:24:10.707 --> 00:24:11.517


Not an Oak Creek.00:24:12.057 --> 00:24:12.537


Sorry.00:24:12.896 --> 00:24:13.376


It'd be tough.00:24:13.406 --> 00:24:15.027


Yeah, it'd be pretty tough right there.00:24:15.116 --> 00:24:23.277


Although, I think, who did I, oh, I was, I had a, I had a burrito today.00:24:24.267 --> 00:24:24.446


Oh.00:24:24.446 --> 00:24:33.987


At the tabletop networking event and somebody called it peasant food and I was like, well, yeah, that's'cause the peasants kind of made the best food.00:24:34.017 --> 00:24:36.957


Like that's where cooking, we got the creative is the bet.00:24:37.166 --> 00:24:37.916


Yeah.00:24:37.946 --> 00:24:40.257


Maybe your ingredients aren't the best, so you gotta figure out how to use it.00:24:40.257 --> 00:24:40.346


Right.00:24:40.346 --> 00:24:44.757


Carnitas, you want this, you know, fatty chunk of pork shoulder, you know.00:24:44.757 --> 00:24:44.967


Right.00:24:44.967 --> 00:24:51.027


It's, it's gonna be six hours before you can really eat it, but as long as you can keep a slow fire on it, it'll be fine.00:24:51.057 --> 00:24:51.207


Yeah.00:24:51.207 --> 00:24:51.626


You know?00:24:51.777 --> 00:24:52.047


Right.00:24:52.406 --> 00:24:54.632


Uh, and most of the best, that was why like.00:24:55.467 --> 00:24:57.446


Uh, Anthony, what's his name?00:24:57.446 --> 00:24:58.047


Bourdain.00:24:58.886 --> 00:25:05.846


Like, he traveled in all these poorest countries, mostly because that's where the art of cooking has been the most Sure.00:25:06.086 --> 00:25:07.047


Improvised, right?00:25:07.047 --> 00:25:11.217


Like, and so anyway, I was like, well, peasant food is really a compliment.00:25:11.217 --> 00:25:13.257


If you actually know anything about cooking, you'd dummy.00:25:13.317 --> 00:25:13.527


Sure.00:25:13.797 --> 00:25:14.846


Uh, anyway, I digress.00:25:14.846 --> 00:25:19.196


Whoever that was that I was talking to this morning, if you hear this, I didn't, I didn't say it out loud.00:25:21.537 --> 00:25:21.957


Uh, no.00:25:21.957 --> 00:25:26.307


My, uh, so my stepfather Jim, uh, grew up on a farm in eastern Kansas.00:25:26.457 --> 00:25:26.787


Oh, cool.00:25:27.192 --> 00:25:28.001


Or Western Kansas.00:25:28.001 --> 00:25:28.152


Sorry.00:25:28.152 --> 00:25:28.241


Yeah.00:25:28.332 --> 00:25:28.961


Peasant country.00:25:28.991 --> 00:25:31.332


Um, kind of So they did everything.00:25:31.392 --> 00:25:31.602


Yeah.00:25:31.602 --> 00:25:33.551


He's milking cows before he goes to school in the morning.00:25:33.672 --> 00:25:33.912


Yeah.00:25:33.942 --> 00:25:38.172


Uh, but kind of learning the connection of the food grandma made and how they made it.00:25:38.201 --> 00:25:40.001


'cause you know, you slaughter a cow.00:25:40.152 --> 00:25:40.241


Mm-hmm.00:25:41.172 --> 00:25:43.961


All the good stuff goes to the guy paying the most, and you're left the scraps.00:25:43.961 --> 00:25:44.112


Right.00:25:44.116 --> 00:25:44.356


Right.00:25:44.682 --> 00:25:45.102


So,00:25:45.372 --> 00:25:45.761


yep.00:25:45.821 --> 00:25:47.501


You learn to, to do with what you can.00:25:47.501 --> 00:25:49.842


Your canning meat, which is I thought was crazy weird.00:25:49.842 --> 00:25:49.932


Right.00:25:49.932 --> 00:25:50.862


Making your own sausages.00:25:50.951 --> 00:25:51.281


Right.00:25:51.461 --> 00:25:53.676


Um, but you know, they, they lived very well.00:25:53.676 --> 00:25:53.876


That's cool.00:25:53.882 --> 00:25:54.701


You were doing that too?00:25:54.942 --> 00:25:57.362


I, I tried to do everything, so I, yeah.00:25:57.362 --> 00:25:59.652


You know, I go, I've done a bunch of canning, I've done a bunch of sausages.00:25:59.652 --> 00:26:00.041


That's cool.00:26:00.071 --> 00:26:01.001


Just trying to figure out how to do it.00:26:01.001 --> 00:26:01.632


My brothers have00:26:01.751 --> 00:26:04.332


like, made their own venison sausage and stuff like that.00:26:04.991 --> 00:26:05.142


Yeah.00:26:05.142 --> 00:26:08.501


And it's cool to be able to do, I, uh, had a post on X the other day.00:26:08.711 --> 00:26:12.011


Somebody said, uh, don't be afraid of canning people.00:26:12.041 --> 00:26:17.471


It's not that hard and it's way better than the stuff they put in the, you know, manufacturing places.00:26:17.471 --> 00:26:17.682


Whatever.00:26:17.682 --> 00:26:18.041


I was like.00:26:18.971 --> 00:26:23.382


I am not afraid of it, but I don't like how it takes me six hours to make nine jars of salsa.00:26:23.412 --> 00:26:23.896


Yeah, yeah.00:26:24.251 --> 00:26:24.821


That's definitely it.00:26:24.912 --> 00:26:27.521


You know, so you need that commercial capacity.00:26:28.061 --> 00:26:35.862


That's one of the nice things about hot sauce, I aspect is like in a 10 gallon pot, you can make a lot of jars of hot sauce.00:26:35.922 --> 00:26:36.672


Yeah, absolutely.00:26:36.912 --> 00:26:37.481


Um, you00:26:37.481 --> 00:26:41.832


know, or I imagine you got like slow cookers even so you can leave that stuff kind of simmer for a long time.00:26:41.832 --> 00:26:43.451


Let those flavors develop and whatever.00:26:43.781 --> 00:26:44.082


Yeah.00:26:44.082 --> 00:26:47.352


I think the biggest pot I have is, uh, 30 gallons.00:26:47.561 --> 00:26:48.251


30 gallons.00:26:49.241 --> 00:26:53.017


It almost, you're tired of bottling hot sauce after you get through there.00:26:53.017 --> 00:26:54.432


So you gotta take ies.00:26:54.432 --> 00:26:55.332


How do you bottle it?00:26:55.332 --> 00:26:56.291


How do you put it in the bottle?00:26:57.102 --> 00:26:59.622


Um, I, I use a.00:27:00.432 --> 00:27:04.932


A pitcher and then I put it into a, uh, pancake batter dispenser.00:27:05.172 --> 00:27:07.122


The little cone with a little Oh yeah.00:27:07.182 --> 00:27:07.781


Thumb hit on it.00:27:07.872 --> 00:27:08.291


Okay.00:27:08.442 --> 00:27:11.771


And so I'll get a, a row of bottles going and just boop boop boop boop.00:27:11.771 --> 00:27:12.162


If I have00:27:12.162 --> 00:27:14.862


you make our hot sauce next time, will it be a little higher up in the neck?00:27:14.862 --> 00:27:16.571


I feel like that's a little bit low.00:27:16.602 --> 00:27:17.412


Uh, it should be to00:27:17.412 --> 00:27:18.791


the rim when you fill it up.00:27:18.791 --> 00:27:19.031


Yeah.00:27:19.061 --> 00:27:19.271


So it00:27:19.271 --> 00:27:20.082


looks like it's full.00:27:20.112 --> 00:27:21.731


Yeah, yeah, yeah.00:27:21.852 --> 00:27:23.801


Well, you, you do bottle it when it's really hot.00:27:24.372 --> 00:27:24.612


Yep.00:27:24.642 --> 00:27:26.257


And then you cap it, the bottles will probably, probably00:27:26.261 --> 00:27:26.862


sterilize and hot.00:27:26.862 --> 00:27:29.051


You just bring'em outta the dishwasher or something like that.00:27:29.051 --> 00:27:29.142


Right.00:27:29.741 --> 00:27:32.291


So then when it cools, it'll definitely come down a little bit.00:27:32.321 --> 00:27:32.711


I see.00:27:32.711 --> 00:27:32.771


Too00:27:33.311 --> 00:27:33.432


much.00:27:34.241 --> 00:27:34.481


Too much.00:27:34.932 --> 00:27:36.971


And that, that kinda gives you that vacuum to keep air out too.00:27:36.971 --> 00:27:39.402


So, you know, if you open one up, it should give you a little pop.00:27:39.642 --> 00:27:40.211


Oh yeah.00:27:41.592 --> 00:27:47.231


But it's not like canned, canned officially, but just because of that vacuum of all that heat,00:27:47.801 --> 00:27:56.051


you know, that's one thing that's, that's still trying to figure out in my head because most commercial like jams and jellies, they're not canned.00:27:56.051 --> 00:27:57.071


Like you'd canned it at home.00:27:57.342 --> 00:27:58.692


Yeah, it's just hot filled.00:27:59.217 --> 00:27:59.817


Captain you.00:27:59.817 --> 00:28:00.086


Right.00:28:00.116 --> 00:28:01.257


So you're not pressure can, they're00:28:01.257 --> 00:28:02.156


not even pressure can yet.00:28:02.277 --> 00:28:02.757


Right.00:28:03.086 --> 00:28:04.467


Um, depending on the food.00:28:04.557 --> 00:28:07.646


So if it's, if it's a low pH, they're just Right.00:28:07.646 --> 00:28:08.936


Heating it Yeah.00:28:08.936 --> 00:28:09.957


Putting it in there and you're done.00:28:10.557 --> 00:28:13.527


Um, some stuff like, you know, tuna or spam or whatever.00:28:13.527 --> 00:28:13.856


Yeah.00:28:13.856 --> 00:28:15.386


You definitely have to get that thing hot and cookie.00:28:15.386 --> 00:28:15.656


Well, so00:28:16.497 --> 00:28:25.257


hopefully nobody gets in trouble over this, but at, at Ginger and Baker, uh, our, our rotary club meets, uh, every Thursday morning, which come visit sometime if you like.00:28:25.317 --> 00:28:25.497


Yeah.00:28:25.737 --> 00:28:29.666


But, uh, there's this hot sauce that she makes.00:28:29.666 --> 00:28:35.787


It's a little bit like your centennial son or Sean's centennial son, but more red and chunky.00:28:35.936 --> 00:28:36.267


Right.00:28:36.717 --> 00:28:40.886


Um, and it's delicious.00:28:40.886 --> 00:28:41.426


I love it.00:28:41.666 --> 00:28:49.916


And in recent weeks, uh, uh, like it hasn't been there for like a month or a month and a half and before that for a few weeks, it was like kind of.00:28:50.741 --> 00:28:54.102


Bubbling out of the jars and stuff a little bit.00:28:54.162 --> 00:28:59.261


And I would guess that be because it was actually fermenting or doing something funky in there.00:28:59.352 --> 00:28:59.592


Right.00:28:59.592 --> 00:29:01.301


That's actually a sauce I make for them.00:29:01.392 --> 00:29:01.662


Oh.00:29:02.021 --> 00:29:05.321


So, well I make the one that they, that's bottled and they sell.00:29:05.501 --> 00:29:05.801


Okay.00:29:05.862 --> 00:29:07.332


They make their own for the restaurant as well.00:29:07.362 --> 00:29:07.751


Okay.00:29:07.842 --> 00:29:10.751


So when I make it, I have to pasteurize it to put it in the bottle.00:29:10.811 --> 00:29:11.352


And I'm sure this00:29:11.352 --> 00:29:13.092


is for theirs, for just at the restaurant.00:29:13.122 --> 00:29:13.422


'cause00:29:13.902 --> 00:29:16.872


there's, he actually called me up and he is like, why is this happening?00:29:17.412 --> 00:29:17.862


Gotcha.00:29:17.892 --> 00:29:18.162


It was00:29:18.162 --> 00:29:19.061


delicious actually.00:29:19.061 --> 00:29:19.932


More delicious.00:29:19.932 --> 00:29:20.832


The stuff that was all00:29:20.832 --> 00:29:21.281


bubbly00:29:21.281 --> 00:29:22.031


and fermented.00:29:22.031 --> 00:29:22.991


I was like, gimme more of that.00:29:23.021 --> 00:29:23.261


Well,00:29:23.261 --> 00:29:24.731


it's a fermented sauce to begin with.00:29:24.761 --> 00:29:25.271


Oh it is.00:29:25.271 --> 00:29:26.922


So they're just getting a little extra in there.00:29:26.922 --> 00:29:27.192


So it's,00:29:27.432 --> 00:29:28.602


or that dangerous seems00:29:28.842 --> 00:29:29.561


No, no, absolutely.00:29:29.561 --> 00:29:31.061


The pH is so low, nothing's going in there.00:29:31.061 --> 00:29:39.882


That's kind of what I, that's kind of my assumption is when there's like a bunch of funky stuff in there that's like bacteria's not gonna go in there and grow.00:29:39.882 --> 00:29:40.902


Nothing that's gonna kill me.00:29:41.517 --> 00:29:41.666


Yeah.00:29:41.666 --> 00:29:45.717


It turns out, uh, sunlight hitting those on the patio just warms it up to that magic temperature.00:29:46.136 --> 00:29:46.166


Oh.00:29:46.166 --> 00:29:49.406


And they kind of, it restarted the lacto fermentation that was going there.00:29:49.406 --> 00:29:49.902


So, yeah.00:29:50.142 --> 00:29:50.342


Interesting.00:29:50.372 --> 00:29:50.662


Cool.00:29:50.692 --> 00:29:50.981


Yeah.00:29:51.207 --> 00:29:53.936


Well, I guess I didn't tell any secrets'cause you already knew about that one.00:29:55.196 --> 00:30:00.207


Sorry, ginger, I mean, to spread your, uh, pretty secrets, but it was like I was loving it.00:30:00.207 --> 00:30:03.237


The Rotary Cup people were, a couple people spooned their shirts and stuff.00:30:03.356 --> 00:30:04.541


Took the covers off.00:30:04.886 --> 00:30:05.366


That's great.00:30:06.207 --> 00:30:09.836


Uh, no, they have the red one and then, uh, seasonally they do a green one as well.00:30:09.866 --> 00:30:10.136


Mm.00:30:10.287 --> 00:30:12.267


So it's a jalapeno one instead of a Fresno, but00:30:12.446 --> 00:30:12.807


Okay.00:30:12.807 --> 00:30:15.342


That's with Fresno Pepper is the kind of core, the bright red.00:30:15.342 --> 00:30:15.622


Yeah.00:30:15.622 --> 00:30:16.301


That's a really good sauce.00:30:16.497 --> 00:30:17.067


It's beautiful.00:30:17.307 --> 00:30:21.416


Do you, do you agree that it has kind of some similarities to that Centennial Sun flavorings?00:30:21.777 --> 00:30:23.997


Uh, that's a different, that's a scotch bonnet or something, right?00:30:24.027 --> 00:30:31.317


The Centennial Sun is actually, um, a soft Sean makes, and, uh, I, boy, I can't remember what's in it exactly.00:30:31.376 --> 00:30:32.126


We'll have to ask him.00:30:32.126 --> 00:30:35.067


But, um, no Fresnos in there anyway, it reminded me00:30:35.156 --> 00:30:37.406


they have kind of similar to my taste anyway, but00:30:37.497 --> 00:30:39.747


the, so the purpose of that sauce, we were doing a competition.00:30:40.287 --> 00:30:44.307


It was, uh, old Town Spice Shop, me and then, uh, sauce Daddy outta Loveland.00:30:44.426 --> 00:30:44.846


Okay.00:30:44.936 --> 00:30:49.436


And so we did a random country on the internet, just random country picker.00:30:49.467 --> 00:30:49.856


Okay.00:30:49.916 --> 00:30:51.207


And it gave us El Salvador.00:30:51.477 --> 00:30:51.686


Okay.00:30:51.686 --> 00:30:58.317


So then we were all just broke away and each made our own version of what we thought a sauce from El Salvador would be.00:30:58.376 --> 00:30:58.767


Okay.00:30:59.156 --> 00:31:02.787


And that's a very similar flavor profile that you would definitely get.00:31:02.787 --> 00:31:03.477


So I dig it.00:31:03.596 --> 00:31:03.896


Yeah.00:31:03.957 --> 00:31:04.376


Kinda fun.00:31:04.676 --> 00:31:05.997


So we'll probably do that again soon.00:31:06.027 --> 00:31:07.017


We jumped off.00:31:07.047 --> 00:31:12.086


You were loving high school life up in Oak Creek.00:31:12.146 --> 00:31:12.416


Oak Creek.00:31:12.416 --> 00:31:12.537


Yeah.00:31:12.567 --> 00:31:19.467


And uh, you know, once you got old enough, partied up in Steamboat when you had a chance and things like that, or what was the setting as your high school proceeded?00:31:20.412 --> 00:31:22.602


Uh, Steamboat was a different country than, so you00:31:22.602 --> 00:31:23.382


didn't want to go there?00:31:23.561 --> 00:31:23.922


No.00:31:23.922 --> 00:31:24.527


It your country kid.00:31:24.527 --> 00:31:25.092


It really wasn't.00:31:25.092 --> 00:31:29.561


Yeah, it, um, it basically tourists, steamboats run by tourists.00:31:29.561 --> 00:31:29.682


Right.00:31:29.892 --> 00:31:31.632


The locals in Steamboat are great, but Yeah.00:31:31.692 --> 00:31:33.882


Everyone from out of town, they're just coming to So you just avoided that.00:31:33.882 --> 00:31:34.721


That was for the weekend.00:31:34.721 --> 00:31:34.781


Yeah.00:31:34.781 --> 00:31:35.231


Culturally00:31:35.231 --> 00:31:36.582


you were like, yeah, we'll be down here.00:31:36.642 --> 00:31:36.942


Right.00:31:37.182 --> 00:31:37.332


Yeah.00:31:37.332 --> 00:31:37.571


Okay.00:31:38.261 --> 00:31:44.321


And so like, uh, proceed me to the next stop or was it, was it to back down to CSU for, for college00:31:44.321 --> 00:31:45.132


after, uh, exactly.00:31:45.132 --> 00:31:45.402


Yeah.00:31:45.461 --> 00:31:50.652


Um, I thought I wanted to do, uh, some electrical engineering that was Okay.00:31:50.741 --> 00:31:53.531


Big time in the stereos and car stereos and Okay.00:31:53.561 --> 00:31:54.251


Goofing out with that.00:31:54.432 --> 00:31:54.701


I dig00:31:54.701 --> 00:31:54.821


it.00:31:55.061 --> 00:31:56.442


And uh, that was really00:31:56.442 --> 00:31:57.432


cool in our day too.00:31:57.461 --> 00:31:57.821


Yeah.00:31:57.882 --> 00:31:59.622


Alpine systems and this and that.00:31:59.622 --> 00:32:00.041


Right.00:32:01.422 --> 00:32:01.872


Um.00:32:02.832 --> 00:32:04.932


Started taking classes and I'm like, this just isn't fun.00:32:04.932 --> 00:32:06.281


Like, not really what I wanna do.00:32:06.281 --> 00:32:12.041


So I thought I don't, since, I don't know, I'm just going to get a degree in economics and I'm sure this will help take me anywhere.00:32:12.041 --> 00:32:16.811


And if I find something that catches on in the meantime, then yeah, you know, I can, I can always use this as something, take it.00:32:16.961 --> 00:32:19.001


So that's kind of where it went from there.00:32:19.362 --> 00:32:19.961


So00:32:20.862 --> 00:32:33.701


if you had become like a stock brokery kind of guy or investments manager, you know, sell a little life insurance and things like that, and you had built a, like, you probably couldn't have that beard looking that scraggly.00:32:33.912 --> 00:32:34.632


No, definitely not.00:32:34.872 --> 00:32:35.412


Um, this is00:32:35.412 --> 00:32:36.071


definitely revolt.00:32:36.071 --> 00:32:38.471


I'm wearing a suit and tie every day is00:32:38.771 --> 00:32:42.946


So you, you wouldn't have become like, successful in that fashion probably is what you're thinking.00:32:42.946 --> 00:32:43.332


They didn't like00:32:43.332 --> 00:32:43.451


it.00:32:43.451 --> 00:32:43.721


Yeah.00:32:43.842 --> 00:32:44.201


Yeah.00:32:44.291 --> 00:32:46.362


The, the worst part of it though is really cold calls.00:32:46.541 --> 00:32:48.102


You're, you're still making phone calls to people.00:32:48.132 --> 00:32:48.432


Oh, it's,00:32:48.642 --> 00:33:00.192


it's a miserable, like, even if you're really smart and handsome or, or beautiful, if you're a woman, it's still gonna take you five years to make a decent living in that industry and 10 years to like.00:33:00.267 --> 00:33:02.997


And then if you can do it for 20 years, then you're kind of like rich.00:33:03.057 --> 00:33:03.386


Right?00:33:03.386 --> 00:33:03.567


If00:33:03.567 --> 00:33:04.017


you're good at it00:33:04.076 --> 00:33:07.467


right now, I remember we would send out these postcards.00:33:07.797 --> 00:33:12.747


We paid some company to send'em out and they would fill it out if you wanna learn more about life insurance, retirement plans, whatever.00:33:12.747 --> 00:33:12.836


Mm-hmm.00:33:13.076 --> 00:33:14.967


And they would mail it back to us.00:33:15.027 --> 00:33:16.856


And then you call'em and you say, Hey, I got your postcard.00:33:17.007 --> 00:33:17.217


Oh,00:33:17.876 --> 00:33:19.317


when can we sit down and talk about this?00:33:19.317 --> 00:33:20.037


And they're like, it.00:33:20.067 --> 00:33:22.676


That was essentially the most Right.00:33:22.676 --> 00:33:24.267


It's the warmest cold call ever.00:33:24.297 --> 00:33:24.537


Right.00:33:24.537 --> 00:33:27.656


And and maybe get 5% of those would would return on you.00:33:27.656 --> 00:33:29.156


'cause people just get so mad you're calling.00:33:29.517 --> 00:33:30.207


Interesting.00:33:30.297 --> 00:33:33.836


And nowadays, I don't even know if you could make a phone call'cause your cell phone blocks half the stuff anyway.00:33:33.896 --> 00:33:34.317


Yeah.00:33:34.406 --> 00:33:36.237


And no one's gonna answer a number that's not theirs.00:33:36.241 --> 00:33:36.311


Yeah.00:33:36.531 --> 00:33:36.751


So00:33:37.692 --> 00:33:41.787


I, yeah, I don't relish the thought of getting into that industry in today's world especially.00:33:41.787 --> 00:33:42.477


No, definitely not.00:33:42.596 --> 00:33:44.096


But they, people need to.00:33:44.396 --> 00:33:44.906


Yeah, absolutely.00:33:44.906 --> 00:33:45.807


Because there's like.00:33:45.882 --> 00:33:49.571


A whole bunch of silver foxes out there now that need to retire.00:33:49.602 --> 00:33:54.971


'cause they're not interested in developing technology or better systems to serve their clients and stuff.00:33:54.971 --> 00:33:55.961


They're just like Right.00:33:56.082 --> 00:34:01.092


Golfing a lot and fucking around and still collecting a big paycheck from a lot of these people.00:34:01.122 --> 00:34:01.422


Right.00:34:01.961 --> 00:34:13.152


So, um, I guess from a, from a business perspective, that is, uh, like kind of the, the journey, right?00:34:13.152 --> 00:34:22.001


Aside from the hot sauce, uh, future hot sauce victories and, and really is there money to be made selling hot sauce, like on the internet,00:34:22.661 --> 00:34:23.052


things like00:34:23.052 --> 00:34:23.411


that?00:34:23.472 --> 00:34:25.541


Is that a actual growth area or is that00:34:27.072 --> 00:34:27.791


maybe00:34:27.942 --> 00:34:30.396


there's some margin there ish.00:34:30.396 --> 00:34:30.416


There's a00:34:30.612 --> 00:34:32.172


pretty good clip from, uh, Mr.00:34:32.172 --> 00:34:33.132


Wonderful Shark Tank.00:34:33.431 --> 00:34:33.822


Okay.00:34:33.942 --> 00:34:37.811


Uh, they asked him, what's the worst business you could possibly get into that you'll never be a part of?00:34:37.817 --> 00:34:38.621


And he said, hot sauce.00:34:38.862 --> 00:34:39.342


Oh God.00:34:40.061 --> 00:34:43.722


Because it's, it's honestly a really easy process and everyone can, can do it.00:34:43.751 --> 00:34:44.172


Yeah.00:34:44.172 --> 00:34:44.181


Yeah.00:34:44.831 --> 00:34:45.192


So.00:34:45.942 --> 00:34:47.652


Everyone is doing it right.00:34:47.981 --> 00:34:53.081


So, um, like since we have the brand of the restaurant, I can kind of use that to Yeah.00:34:53.081 --> 00:34:53.382


You've got00:34:53.382 --> 00:34:55.302


like a retail showroom almost to, right.00:34:55.302 --> 00:34:56.141


So then making,00:34:56.351 --> 00:34:58.992


making sauce for Ginger and Baker, they're using their label on it.00:34:59.112 --> 00:34:59.351


Yep.00:34:59.891 --> 00:35:01.632


People that are fans of them, that sauce.00:35:01.632 --> 00:35:01.902


But do you00:35:01.902 --> 00:35:07.811


make like a buck a bottle, two bucks a bottle or something to be the, I mean, maybe three at the most, right?00:35:07.811 --> 00:35:08.621


Like not a lot.00:35:09.041 --> 00:35:15.911


No, it's definitely not a lot, but, but I guess if you do whatever, a thousand bottles, that's 3000 bucks or something.00:35:15.911 --> 00:35:16.092


Right?00:35:16.092 --> 00:35:16.152


Yeah.00:35:16.152 --> 00:35:16.331


Which is00:35:16.481 --> 00:35:21.791


fantastic when back to school season starts and no one comes to the restaurant because they wouldn't had to buy new shoes for their kids.00:35:21.791 --> 00:35:21.882


Right.00:35:22.211 --> 00:35:25.092


So it's a bit of a stabilizer and also I guess it helps you feel.00:35:25.722 --> 00:35:27.251


The gap time on your equipment?00:35:27.342 --> 00:35:30.461


'cause you can kind of make these things Sure.00:35:30.731 --> 00:35:33.672


During the times when otherwise staff are slow.00:35:33.672 --> 00:35:34.331


So you're just like, hey.00:35:34.391 --> 00:35:34.692


Right.00:35:35.052 --> 00:35:37.961


Stir that 20 gallon pot right.00:35:37.961 --> 00:35:38.592


Once in a while.00:35:38.621 --> 00:35:40.632


'cause I'm making salsa, uh, sauce in there.00:35:40.782 --> 00:35:40.961


Yeah.00:35:41.141 --> 00:35:41.351


Huh.00:35:41.621 --> 00:35:44.952


Uh, someone like Sean does great with online hot sauce sales.00:35:44.981 --> 00:35:45.282


Yeah.00:35:45.371 --> 00:35:49.601


Because he sells to a bunch of small grocery stores and, and, and places like those.00:35:49.601 --> 00:35:53.172


So, um, he can reach out a lot further than I can and Right.00:35:53.351 --> 00:35:58.092


My brand isn't well known outside Fort Collins, so no one's really gonna come after And you self distribute00:35:58.092 --> 00:35:58.601


pretty much.00:35:58.601 --> 00:35:58.902


Right.00:35:59.382 --> 00:35:59.981


Gotcha, gotcha.00:36:00.251 --> 00:36:02.231


And do you make all of Sean's sauces for him?00:36:02.442 --> 00:36:02.862


I do.00:36:02.922 --> 00:36:09.641


Um, he essentially doesn't wanna deal with the licensure, so he is just straight Oh.00:36:09.641 --> 00:36:12.012


Powders in, in, in seasonings.00:36:12.492 --> 00:36:12.532


I see.00:36:12.532 --> 00:36:14.742


So he doesn't do anything liquid or any fresh peppers is really the Okay.00:36:15.192 --> 00:36:15.731


Fresh ingredient.00:36:15.731 --> 00:36:16.032


So he's just00:36:16.032 --> 00:36:18.012


a reseller of anything saucy.00:36:18.132 --> 00:36:18.461


Right.00:36:18.791 --> 00:36:22.931


So, yeah, I just make it, I bottle it, I give it to him, he puts his own sticker on it and it's out the door.00:36:22.931 --> 00:36:23.141


So.00:36:23.472 --> 00:36:25.302


So let's talk about hot sauces00:36:25.452 --> 00:36:29.981


and peppers a little bit'cause it seems like you've kind of built some expertise there.00:36:30.516 --> 00:36:37.961


I, I have, my wife, uh, actually bought me a mini fridge to keep in the kitchen for hot sauce, so it doesn't go on our regular refrigerator anymore.00:36:39.581 --> 00:36:45.041


She's kind of tired of it, but it's one of those things that, you know, you travel somewhere, you just pick up whatever random sauce.00:36:45.041 --> 00:36:45.356


So yeah.00:36:45.402 --> 00:36:49.811


Yeah, anytime she goes somewhere, she'll bring me back a bottle of hot sauce from Iowa or California.00:36:49.811 --> 00:36:49.871


So.00:36:49.871 --> 00:36:50.262


Interesting.00:36:50.922 --> 00:36:52.452


But it ages as well, as long as it's kept.00:36:52.452 --> 00:36:52.782


Cool.00:36:52.782 --> 00:36:53.202


I reckon.00:36:53.742 --> 00:36:58.331


So like, I guess, talk to me about your favorites.00:36:58.391 --> 00:37:08.442


Maybe not your blends, but maybe your favorite spices and profiles or specific sauces that when you're like, I'm aspiring to build, build something that Tasty.00:37:09.972 --> 00:37:11.981


Well, I think every hot sauce has its place.00:37:11.981 --> 00:37:14.411


So even something like Tabasco I think is fantastic on.00:37:15.056 --> 00:37:15.507


Yeah.00:37:16.197 --> 00:37:18.117


Uh, that red sauce from Ginger and Baker's gr on eggs00:37:18.177 --> 00:37:19.166


pizza, it totally is.00:37:19.496 --> 00:37:27.657


Um, one of my all-time favorite hot sauces is, uh, a raspberry Chipotle from Tabasco interest, which is super crazy.00:37:28.286 --> 00:37:33.476


Um, so kind of, it depends on the food with which kind of direction I would wanna go with hot Sauce.00:37:33.476 --> 00:37:37.766


But, uh, for the most part there's not a lot of great commercial stuff out there.00:37:38.427 --> 00:37:38.786


Okay.00:37:38.786 --> 00:37:39.297


So like the, so the00:37:39.297 --> 00:37:41.217


name brand stuff is Yeah.00:37:41.427 --> 00:37:42.536


Kind of boring, right?00:37:42.927 --> 00:37:43.556


Um,00:37:44.697 --> 00:37:45.146


so yeah.00:37:45.146 --> 00:37:46.407


If you sriracha got crazy.00:37:46.496 --> 00:37:46.976


Yeah.00:37:46.981 --> 00:37:47.606


Yeah, right.00:37:47.606 --> 00:37:51.117


Like, everybody started using Sriracha to the point where they like ran out of it or something.00:37:51.507 --> 00:37:51.836


Right.00:37:51.867 --> 00:37:57.806


There's, I think there's some crazy, uh, uh, fighting, trying to save money with the farmers that have been supplying'em forever.00:37:57.806 --> 00:37:58.106


Yeah.00:37:58.106 --> 00:37:58.887


Something, something.00:37:59.157 --> 00:37:59.367


Yeah.00:37:59.367 --> 00:38:05.847


So it kind of bit him, but, um, finding that local little guy like Sauce Daddy, because he's doing crazy stuff.00:38:05.996 --> 00:38:06.476


Okay.00:38:06.626 --> 00:38:07.436


He's focused on it.00:38:07.467 --> 00:38:07.677


Yeah.00:38:07.677 --> 00:38:09.987


Like Sean just did a rhubarb and green chili.00:38:10.436 --> 00:38:10.766


Yeah.00:38:10.976 --> 00:38:11.456


What's that about?00:38:13.362 --> 00:38:16.541


So I don't even know why you splash those two together, but00:38:16.692 --> 00:38:16.931


Right.00:38:16.931 --> 00:38:17.711


What you use it on?00:38:17.831 --> 00:38:19.061


I'm, I'm in, I'm all for it.00:38:19.061 --> 00:38:20.442


So you dig it?00:38:20.652 --> 00:38:20.831


Yep.00:38:20.831 --> 00:38:21.371


Take my money.00:38:21.371 --> 00:38:21.612


We're good.00:38:22.572 --> 00:38:27.222


Um, for me, my favorite sauce that, that I make, uh, is the ghost pepper sauce.00:38:27.702 --> 00:38:28.001


Okay.00:38:28.271 --> 00:38:28.751


Um, the00:38:28.751 --> 00:38:31.856


one you put in the, that I used to put in the, you had it with, uh, the smother Frito.00:38:32.516 --> 00:38:33.012


Oh, right.00:38:33.041 --> 00:38:33.702


Oh yeah, that one.00:38:34.121 --> 00:38:34.751


Yeah, that was,00:38:36.041 --> 00:38:38.322


um, there's a lot of curry in there and a lot of mustard.00:38:38.322 --> 00:38:41.831


So things that you wouldn't necessarily associate with hot sauce.00:38:41.862 --> 00:38:42.192


Yeah.00:38:42.192 --> 00:38:44.411


So, um, and then peppers.00:38:44.652 --> 00:38:45.342


Lots of peppers,00:38:45.521 --> 00:38:45.731


huh.00:38:45.851 --> 00:38:51.791


I bet the kind of savoriness of sorts of the curry kind of dampens a little bit.00:38:51.791 --> 00:38:53.021


Is that kind of the goal?00:38:53.561 --> 00:38:54.672


So it sneaks up anymore.00:38:54.672 --> 00:38:56.202


It doesn't hit you right in the face right away.00:38:56.202 --> 00:38:56.442


Yeah.00:38:56.442 --> 00:39:01.632


And, and there's some interesting, different peppers do different things to different parts of your tongue and mouth as well.00:39:01.632 --> 00:39:01.902


Yeah.00:39:01.902 --> 00:39:02.081


Right.00:39:02.652 --> 00:39:06.072


So mixing peppers is always fun because sometimes you'll just get huge lip.00:39:06.402 --> 00:39:07.661


Sometimes it'll be the back of your throat.00:39:07.902 --> 00:39:08.231


Right.00:39:08.231 --> 00:39:10.211


You know, sometimes it's just gonna blow up your entire head.00:39:11.141 --> 00:39:15.282


So mixing them together and getting the right combos is always kind of fun.00:39:16.931 --> 00:39:26.501


That first hot nugs conversation with Shirley, like towards the very end of it, uh, she was like, oh, you are so sweaty right now.00:39:27.492 --> 00:39:28.632


I was like, I know.00:39:28.632 --> 00:39:30.371


I told you what's gonna happen Shirley.00:39:30.371 --> 00:39:32.351


You can't, uh, can't blame me.00:39:32.382 --> 00:39:32.742


I love it.00:39:32.742 --> 00:39:33.311


That's my favorite.00:39:33.342 --> 00:39:37.302


We just start sweating and, you know, if, if I eat something too hot, my ears start to ring.00:39:37.302 --> 00:39:38.172


Like I was at a concert.00:39:38.231 --> 00:39:40.572


Just kind of a That's what I know.00:39:40.572 --> 00:39:41.351


I did it too much.00:39:42.311 --> 00:39:42.911


A little too hard.00:39:43.362 --> 00:39:43.601


Okay.00:39:44.112 --> 00:39:46.902


Um, I feel like it's a good time to take a short break.00:39:47.081 --> 00:39:47.262


Sure.00:39:47.561 --> 00:39:47.802


Alright.00:40:44.547 --> 00:40:45.266


And we're back.00:40:46.047 --> 00:40:57.387


Um, so one of the things I realized when we were like, oh, we got, kind of came all the way full circle in this timeline is like you met a girl somewhere along the way and'cause.00:40:58.016 --> 00:40:59.007


Married didn't have that.00:41:00.117 --> 00:41:05.936


And uh, and you have children,'cause we were talking about teaching them how to do plumbing and different things like that.00:41:05.936 --> 00:41:06.027


Right.00:41:06.027 --> 00:41:08.487


So let's, let's dive into that chapter.00:41:08.487 --> 00:41:10.496


Were you in college?00:41:10.496 --> 00:41:12.206


Did you find her in Steamboat or, uh, no.00:41:12.206 --> 00:41:13.226


She in college, Oak Creek.00:41:13.646 --> 00:41:20.217


Uh, my best friend ever, uh, Steve ran the, uh, cinema Saver six on Drake and Ches.00:41:20.246 --> 00:41:20.547


Oh, sure.00:41:20.757 --> 00:41:20.847


You00:41:20.847 --> 00:41:20.967


used00:41:20.967 --> 00:41:21.027


to00:41:21.027 --> 00:41:21.777


go there from time00:41:21.777 --> 00:41:21.786


to00:41:21.786 --> 00:41:21.797


time.00:41:21.836 --> 00:41:24.117


So, uh, free movies, basically, right?00:41:24.597 --> 00:41:25.257


Nearly, yeah.00:41:25.257 --> 00:41:25.856


Like$200:41:25.856 --> 00:41:26.817


movies back in those days.00:41:27.416 --> 00:41:29.547


And, uh, she was an employee there at the time.00:41:29.666 --> 00:41:29.996


Okay.00:41:30.266 --> 00:41:32.456


And, uh, you know, he'd have a couple parties.00:41:32.456 --> 00:41:34.467


Like he always did Academy Awards party at his house.00:41:34.586 --> 00:41:34.797


Oh.00:41:35.007 --> 00:41:35.726


Uh,00:41:35.786 --> 00:41:37.317


so he was an actual cinema guy.00:41:37.376 --> 00:41:37.706


Yeah.00:41:37.706 --> 00:41:38.067


Big time.00:41:38.067 --> 00:41:38.577


Runner of the theater.00:41:38.577 --> 00:41:38.786


Big time.00:41:38.817 --> 00:41:39.027


Yep.00:41:39.567 --> 00:41:43.617


Uh, but, uh, just kind of bumped into her a couple times by chance.00:41:43.617 --> 00:41:46.916


And then she mentioned to him something like, oh, he's kinda cute.00:41:47.097 --> 00:41:48.146


And then I was like, wait a minute.00:41:48.956 --> 00:41:49.856


She thinks I'm cute.00:41:51.056 --> 00:41:51.746


It's on you.00:41:51.746 --> 00:41:52.106


That number.00:41:52.106 --> 00:41:52.166


Yeah.00:41:52.677 --> 00:41:53.007


What's00:41:53.007 --> 00:41:53.427


her name?00:41:53.726 --> 00:41:54.146


Jacqueline.00:41:54.266 --> 00:41:56.246


Hey Jacqueline, you'll probably listen to this.00:41:56.907 --> 00:41:57.416


She probably will.00:41:58.766 --> 00:41:59.036


Good.00:41:59.456 --> 00:42:07.376


A and so Steve mentions that Jacqueline thinks you're kind of cute and uh, did you ask her out right away or how does that go down?00:42:07.436 --> 00:42:11.817


Uh, yeah, and this is kind of awkward, kinda showing my age, but we didn't have cell phones, so there's no texting, right?00:42:11.996 --> 00:42:12.086


Sure.00:42:12.086 --> 00:42:12.297


Yeah.00:42:12.387 --> 00:42:13.226


Uh, just hoping to00:42:13.226 --> 00:42:14.487


run into her somewhere, kind of,00:42:14.666 --> 00:42:17.456


um, her dad, CSU professor.00:42:17.606 --> 00:42:18.086


Okay.00:42:18.237 --> 00:42:21.896


Um, he was in love with the name Deacon.00:42:22.646 --> 00:42:24.896


So the caller ID on his phone was Deacon.00:42:25.586 --> 00:42:26.007


Okay.00:42:26.097 --> 00:42:29.726


So I didn't know, but I see this on caller, ID pop up.00:42:29.726 --> 00:42:31.436


I'm terrified, right.00:42:31.436 --> 00:42:31.827


So I'm like,00:42:32.067 --> 00:42:32.367


is a00:42:32.367 --> 00:42:33.476


church guy calling?00:42:33.777 --> 00:42:34.646


I don't know what's going on.00:42:34.646 --> 00:42:40.617


I don't dunno what I'm doing, but it was, uh, you know, you make a phone call and be like, Hey, if you're free, I'm gonna be at the library this afternoon, swing by.00:42:40.617 --> 00:42:42.146


So I'm just sitting at the library, see if she'll swing by.00:42:42.777 --> 00:42:47.217


So you kinda try and make those chance meetings and hope they keep increasing with frequency.00:42:48.086 --> 00:42:50.487


Uh, and then, yeah, we just had fun and.00:42:51.132 --> 00:42:52.512


Here we are 25 years later.00:42:52.601 --> 00:42:52.871


Wow.00:42:53.472 --> 00:42:53.681


Yeah.00:42:54.161 --> 00:42:56.052


So this was in college.00:42:56.052 --> 00:43:00.311


Were you, did you date for a while and then get married or?00:43:00.702 --> 00:43:01.271


Yeah, actually,00:43:01.271 --> 00:43:06.492


uh, our very first real date I took her, uh, flying What?00:43:06.581 --> 00:43:07.992


So, uh, like at an airplane?00:43:08.021 --> 00:43:08.532


Yeah.00:43:08.532 --> 00:43:08.621


Yeah.00:43:08.621 --> 00:43:09.617


Um, okay.00:43:10.637 --> 00:43:11.297


Why, why?00:43:11.442 --> 00:43:11.831


Okay.00:43:11.922 --> 00:43:12.822


I got a lot of great stories.00:43:12.822 --> 00:43:13.302


He goes for days.00:43:13.661 --> 00:43:16.061


Uh, my brother Dan is a former Marine Okay.00:43:16.061 --> 00:43:17.322


In, uh, airplane mechanic.00:43:17.322 --> 00:43:20.742


And now he works for the FAA, but at the time he worked at the Fort Collins level Airport.00:43:20.742 --> 00:43:21.552


So, okay.00:43:21.762 --> 00:43:24.251


The entire time I was in college, I was working at the airport too.00:43:24.251 --> 00:43:25.302


I was a, a line guy.00:43:25.302 --> 00:43:27.461


I pumped gas, you know, the guy with the WS guy and people.00:43:27.461 --> 00:43:27.942


Yeah.00:43:27.942 --> 00:43:27.952


Yeah.00:43:28.992 --> 00:43:32.592


So, uh, when you're out there, you got the ability to trade favors.00:43:32.802 --> 00:43:32.981


Yeah.00:43:33.641 --> 00:43:34.101


Become, you know, like, I'll, I'll become friends.00:43:34.101 --> 00:43:35.592


I'll you airplane in the hangar tonight.00:43:35.592 --> 00:43:36.492


I know it's gonna be cold.00:43:36.882 --> 00:43:37.541


We won't charge you.00:43:38.382 --> 00:43:40.512


And then he'll take me for an airplane ride a week later.00:43:40.512 --> 00:43:40.692


Right.00:43:41.322 --> 00:43:44.202


So I'm doing favors for people and I'm getting some free flight time.00:43:44.382 --> 00:43:47.771


So I was able to get my pilot's license for virtually nothing while I was there.00:43:47.831 --> 00:43:48.702


Basically just gas.00:43:48.911 --> 00:43:49.362


Okay.00:43:49.842 --> 00:43:50.351


Um.00:43:50.757 --> 00:43:54.266


Then, yeah, I had my license and I said, Hey, let's go.00:43:54.297 --> 00:43:56.427


We went to Olis, which unfortunately is now closed.00:43:56.427 --> 00:43:58.737


So it's like some dude just like loans you his plane.00:43:58.737 --> 00:44:00.297


'cause you got your license or Yeah.00:44:00.297 --> 00:44:01.137


You, you join a club.00:44:01.586 --> 00:44:01.617


Okay.00:44:01.617 --> 00:44:01.766


Um, a00:44:01.766 --> 00:44:05.606


lot of the, a lot of airplane owners rent their airplanes to clubs and then Oh, I see.00:44:05.876 --> 00:44:06.777


By, by the hour.00:44:06.836 --> 00:44:07.317


Yeah.00:44:07.317 --> 00:44:07.327


Yeah.00:44:07.976 --> 00:44:08.996


So just a little two seater.00:44:09.146 --> 00:44:09.356


Yeah.00:44:09.567 --> 00:44:09.956


Take her up.00:44:09.956 --> 00:44:10.646


We're flying around.00:44:11.036 --> 00:44:16.646


Um, flew over her house and she got to see the lights and everything and I didn't know she was absolutely terrified the whole time.00:44:16.677 --> 00:44:17.007


Okay.00:44:17.246 --> 00:44:25.797


So a couple weeks later, I rent an airplane again for the 4th of July and we're circling Lake Lovelin just watching the fireworks from, from the air over Lake Lovelin.00:44:25.856 --> 00:44:26.126


Oh wow.00:44:26.306 --> 00:44:30.086


And you could see Greeley, you could see long miles in Fort Collins is super cool.00:44:30.597 --> 00:44:32.606


Uh, but now every time you ask her about.00:44:32.952 --> 00:44:34.001


Either one of those airplane rides.00:44:34.001 --> 00:44:37.271


I was flying sideways and doing barrel rolls and she thought she was gonna die the whole time.00:44:37.271 --> 00:44:37.632


Oh my gosh.00:44:37.632 --> 00:44:38.472


So it was kinda, yeah.00:44:38.711 --> 00:44:38.891


Yeah.00:44:38.891 --> 00:44:41.322


But, uh, kind of a shocking first date.00:44:41.322 --> 00:44:44.981


I think that's, that's what you're supposed to do was really, you know, well, apparently an impression.00:44:45.297 --> 00:44:45.586


Yeah.00:44:45.592 --> 00:44:45.911


Yeah.00:44:45.972 --> 00:44:55.871


Um, but then were you just dating like through college and then you got married later, or you started having kids right away, like telling about,'cause it was quite a while before you opened Matador after that still, right?00:44:55.871 --> 00:44:56.141


It was,00:44:56.146 --> 00:44:56.306


yeah.00:44:56.311 --> 00:44:56.442


Yeah.00:44:56.442 --> 00:45:02.021


Um, I proposed to her the night of my graduation party from CSU.00:45:02.112 --> 00:45:02.592


Oh wow.00:45:02.891 --> 00:45:04.032


Uh, and we were.00:45:04.782 --> 00:45:09.041


Having some drinks and I may or may not have gotten sick in the dumpster by our apartment.00:45:09.896 --> 00:45:12.731


And then is it after that you proposed?00:45:13.121 --> 00:45:17.052


I proposed a little bit after that and then she said, well, we'll talk later.00:45:18.132 --> 00:45:22.871


Always proposed before you vomit in the dumpster, but keep going.00:45:22.931 --> 00:45:23.442


Should have known.00:45:23.532 --> 00:45:23.922


I should should've.00:45:23.922 --> 00:45:24.911


Well, what can you do?00:45:25.242 --> 00:45:28.032


Sliders was selling 24 ounce microbrews for$2.00:45:28.032 --> 00:45:31.902


Like you can't, and you just graduate college like it's gonna happen.00:45:32.231 --> 00:45:32.291


Yeah.00:45:32.291 --> 00:45:33.882


SelfControl wasn't really as, nah, it was dumb.00:45:35.231 --> 00:45:39.521


Uh, my saving grace though was I did tell her sister at the graduation party, I'm gonna ask her tonight.00:45:39.552 --> 00:45:39.581


Okay.00:45:40.842 --> 00:45:41.081


So00:45:42.041 --> 00:45:43.601


before the, the, the bubble.00:45:43.601 --> 00:45:44.157


Right, right.00:45:44.291 --> 00:45:44.621


Okay.00:45:44.621 --> 00:45:47.592


So she was at least flattered by that, but Right.00:45:47.592 --> 00:45:49.077


So I didn't want that to be the circumstances.00:45:49.092 --> 00:45:49.722


I up a little bit and00:45:49.722 --> 00:45:49.992


yeah.00:45:50.322 --> 00:45:51.402


Kind of talked myself outta that.00:45:51.402 --> 00:45:57.132


But, uh, first thing you know, next day, next time I talked to her, she, did you meet what you said last night?00:45:57.132 --> 00:45:58.572


And I'm like, I don't know what I said.00:45:58.757 --> 00:45:58.907


Like, yeah.00:45:59.626 --> 00:46:01.427


If it's about the, will you bear me thing then?00:46:01.427 --> 00:46:01.726


Yeah.00:46:01.817 --> 00:46:02.086


Yeah.00:46:03.047 --> 00:46:08.507


So we did a picnic and, and uh, I ended up putting a ring in a cracker jack box and went to the zoo and Cool.00:46:08.507 --> 00:46:09.467


Did it right later.00:46:09.496 --> 00:46:11.597


But, uh, yeah, that was, uh, the first time there.00:46:12.317 --> 00:46:17.117


Uh, so I was what, 23 when I graduated.00:46:17.177 --> 00:46:19.996


So we got married a year or so later, so probably 24 when we got married.00:46:20.536 --> 00:46:23.686


And then what did you do those first couple years in?00:46:23.686 --> 00:46:27.047


Because you weren't doing the financial planner thingy yet, I guess.00:46:27.047 --> 00:46:27.467


No.00:46:27.496 --> 00:46:31.606


Um, I was working, uh, for my father-in-law.00:46:32.177 --> 00:46:32.327


Okay.00:46:32.356 --> 00:46:34.547


Uh, so he was a groundwater engineer at CSU.00:46:34.577 --> 00:46:36.106


Passed away a few years ago, unfortunately.00:46:36.106 --> 00:46:38.507


But, uh, he had a little side business.00:46:38.567 --> 00:46:40.847


He had a lot of, uh, students from the Middle East.00:46:41.626 --> 00:46:42.047


Oh, interesting.00:46:42.617 --> 00:46:48.766


Uh, they were working on their groundwater, PhD, whatever.00:46:48.766 --> 00:46:48.887


Yeah.00:46:48.947 --> 00:46:50.476


So he's he's teaching all these guys?00:46:50.481 --> 00:46:50.661


Yeah.00:46:50.666 --> 00:46:50.956


Yeah.00:46:50.956 --> 00:46:51.766


His, his craft.00:46:52.277 --> 00:46:54.916


Uh, and he started this environmental cleanup company in Egypt.00:46:55.217 --> 00:46:55.847


Okay.00:46:55.847 --> 00:46:56.327


Interesting.00:46:56.362 --> 00:46:56.581


So.00:46:57.927 --> 00:46:58.556


One of his old students.00:46:58.556 --> 00:47:02.936


So we, we made a few trips back and forth and we were cleaning up, uh, basically drill cuttings.00:47:03.387 --> 00:47:06.896


When you drill a hole, you pull it up and it's full of oil and they just spill it in the middle of the desert.00:47:06.896 --> 00:47:07.257


They don't care.00:47:07.317 --> 00:47:07.677


Yeah.00:47:08.036 --> 00:47:13.916


So we would go and, uh, pressure like BP in England.00:47:13.922 --> 00:47:14.032


Yeah.00:47:14.036 --> 00:47:14.637


Yeah.00:47:14.637 --> 00:47:15.777


To tell'em that needs to be cleaned up.00:47:15.782 --> 00:47:15.992


Yeah.00:47:15.992 --> 00:47:17.277


And we say, but we can do it for you.00:47:17.637 --> 00:47:20.996


And then we go and try and clean it up for'em, you know, spread it out in the desert.00:47:21.297 --> 00:47:23.547


Throw some fertilizers, some microorganisms on there that eat the oil.00:47:23.606 --> 00:47:24.007


Yeah, yeah.00:47:24.327 --> 00:47:30.117


Keep tilling it with a tractor every once in a while and then yeah, pretty soon all the hydrocarbons are gone and have nice, clean, fresh oil.00:47:30.416 --> 00:47:30.806


Interesting.00:47:31.197 --> 00:47:33.746


Uh, and then drilled a lot of monitoring wells.00:47:33.867 --> 00:47:34.226


Yeah.00:47:34.797 --> 00:47:36.992


There was one place, uh, in Sues city where that's quite00:47:37.032 --> 00:47:41.246


a, uh, fascinating side journey.00:47:41.277 --> 00:47:42.237


Yeah, absolutely.00:47:42.237 --> 00:47:42.806


Absolutely.00:47:43.407 --> 00:47:47.456


There was a, a project in Sues city where the ground caught on fire and they couldn't figure out why.00:47:47.516 --> 00:47:48.146


Okay.00:47:48.567 --> 00:47:52.797


So, uh, we ended up drilling a bunch of wells on the around town and we ended up, uh.00:47:53.516 --> 00:47:59.726


Making a canal where all the groundwater would flow into this canal and we could pump all the hydrocarbons out and reclaim it, but Wow.00:47:59.786 --> 00:48:00.717


Like a filter virtually.00:48:00.717 --> 00:48:00.777


Yeah.00:48:00.777 --> 00:48:00.956


They were00:48:00.956 --> 00:48:02.036


just spilling oil everywhere.00:48:02.097 --> 00:48:02.606


Yeah.00:48:02.697 --> 00:48:03.117


Dang.00:48:03.117 --> 00:48:05.967


So did a lot of those, those fun little projects like that.00:48:06.177 --> 00:48:07.166


It was really well, and probably00:48:07.166 --> 00:48:09.597


raised a ton of awareness to the, the problems.00:48:09.597 --> 00:48:13.887


'cause it seems like that kind of stuff doesn't happen as much anymore.00:48:13.947 --> 00:48:19.077


'cause you bring some awareness and it costs a bunch of money and then you're like, oh, you mean I can't just let this?00:48:19.766 --> 00:48:20.456


Yeah.00:48:20.547 --> 00:48:24.987


Well the, the, when the one project where the ground caught on fire, all, they just, they couldn't get it out.00:48:25.047 --> 00:48:26.217


They didn't know what, what the problem was.00:48:26.606 --> 00:48:28.586


So they just ran a bunch of asphalt over it and paved it.00:48:28.976 --> 00:48:29.847


Oh, just let a beer in.00:48:30.206 --> 00:48:31.827


And then they started working on it.00:48:31.827 --> 00:48:37.226


Then like, using the facility again, like after who, if, who knows what's going on on the ground there, like if there's still,00:48:37.407 --> 00:48:39.177


it is just a low burn probably.00:48:39.177 --> 00:48:39.561


Yeah, we're fine.00:48:39.626 --> 00:48:40.286


Yeah, it's fine.00:48:40.556 --> 00:48:40.706


Yeah.00:48:41.907 --> 00:48:42.237


Okay.00:48:42.597 --> 00:48:43.077


Gotcha.00:48:43.257 --> 00:48:45.806


And there, there was a lot of stuff in, in Colorado to do too, so.00:48:45.811 --> 00:48:45.842


Yeah.00:48:46.226 --> 00:48:46.827


Yeah.00:48:46.827 --> 00:48:46.836


Um.00:48:47.456 --> 00:48:53.847


So you're just kind of a, a junior but capable person running around doing all this stuff with your father-in-law.00:48:54.056 --> 00:48:54.237


Right.00:48:54.297 --> 00:48:57.117


It's a good sentiment that you like, enjoyed his company.00:48:57.237 --> 00:48:58.797


He welcomed you into the family.00:48:58.827 --> 00:48:58.976


Yeah.00:48:58.976 --> 00:48:59.666


He's fantastic.00:48:59.907 --> 00:49:00.177


Yeah.00:49:00.266 --> 00:49:00.507


Cool.00:49:00.806 --> 00:49:02.847


Uh, he's had, so he has six kids.00:49:02.847 --> 00:49:08.306


They're all engineers and they all married engineers except for me, I was the one guy that was not enjoying that circle.00:49:08.306 --> 00:49:08.456


Got it.00:49:08.456 --> 00:49:12.777


So like when you're at big holiday parties or family reunions, you're like surrounded by engineers the whole time.00:49:12.777 --> 00:49:13.436


Right, right.00:49:13.586 --> 00:49:14.067


Interesting.00:49:14.126 --> 00:49:14.817


They're the cool engineers.00:49:14.817 --> 00:49:16.016


Well least you cook for them.00:49:16.047 --> 00:49:16.197


Yeah.00:49:16.257 --> 00:49:18.177


Uh,'cause most engineers can't cook.00:49:18.507 --> 00:49:18.686


Yeah.00:49:18.692 --> 00:49:19.302


They're not, it's too precise.00:49:19.311 --> 00:49:19.661


Right.00:49:21.146 --> 00:49:25.766


They're like, I need to know exactly how many teaspoons of salt You're like until it tastes right.00:49:25.827 --> 00:49:26.036


Yeah.00:49:26.757 --> 00:49:27.626


Then their head blows up.00:49:27.987 --> 00:49:28.197


Right.00:49:29.007 --> 00:49:30.717


So, and how many children?00:49:31.856 --> 00:49:32.726


Uh oh, I have four.00:49:32.907 --> 00:49:35.487


Four, uh, three girls and one boy.00:49:35.516 --> 00:49:35.847


Okay.00:49:35.876 --> 00:49:39.836


So, uh, oldest Cassie is, uh, junior CSU.00:49:40.226 --> 00:49:40.706


Oh wow.00:49:40.797 --> 00:49:45.027


And then we have, Samantha is a kinda on the fast track to get out.00:49:45.041 --> 00:49:47.021


Uh, in three years outta college.00:49:47.021 --> 00:49:48.612


So she's in, uh, Morningside, Iowa.00:49:48.791 --> 00:49:49.061


Oh, wow.00:49:49.061 --> 00:49:49.572


Or Sioux City, Iowa.00:49:49.572 --> 00:49:50.351


Morningside University.00:49:50.351 --> 00:49:50.411


Okay.00:49:50.621 --> 00:49:50.802


Yep.00:49:51.581 --> 00:49:54.492


And then son James is a senior at Rocky.00:49:54.581 --> 00:49:54.911


Okay.00:49:55.032 --> 00:49:58.271


And then the youngest, Jesse just turned 15, and she's also at Rocky.00:49:58.572 --> 00:49:59.771


And where's James going?00:49:59.771 --> 00:50:00.132


Does he know?00:50:00.822 --> 00:50:01.931


Uh, no.00:50:02.112 --> 00:50:07.751


Um, Samantha and him want to try and go to find a school where they can both go together, so.00:50:07.751 --> 00:50:07.902


Oh, really?00:50:07.902 --> 00:50:08.411


She work on00:50:08.411 --> 00:50:11.231


her, her graduate degree, her graduate degree, work on his undergrad.00:50:11.291 --> 00:50:11.561


Yeah.00:50:11.561 --> 00:50:13.152


So that is very charming.00:50:13.211 --> 00:50:13.902


Um, yeah.00:50:13.902 --> 00:50:14.952


A sibling relationship.00:50:14.952 --> 00:50:15.371


That is Right.00:50:15.731 --> 00:50:17.081


Uh, good job fostering that.00:50:17.652 --> 00:50:17.802


Right.00:50:19.061 --> 00:50:22.121


Well, and it goes to, one of the things we talked about during the break was.00:50:23.067 --> 00:50:24.836


Like, you're kind of all about friendships.00:50:25.286 --> 00:50:25.862


Yeah, absolutely.00:50:25.862 --> 00:50:28.496


Like your, your, your clients or friends.00:50:28.496 --> 00:50:33.822


And even, you know, when, when you and I first met, I remembered you as Paul, the friendly guy that owns Matador, you know?00:50:33.822 --> 00:50:34.021


Right.00:50:34.317 --> 00:50:44.606


And, uh, um, that seems to be kind of a theme of even your, your workforce, your client base, your family, your siblings wanting to be friends with each other.00:50:44.606 --> 00:50:44.666


Yeah.00:50:44.996 --> 00:50:57.027


Well, it's, it's hard to, when you're working with someone, and especially after 10 years, I mean, you know everything about'em, you know, you know how their family's going and, and a, a part of really good times and a part of really bad times too.00:50:57.206 --> 00:50:57.536


Sure.00:50:57.657 --> 00:51:07.407


Uh, so it just kind of naturally develops, but, um, you just always try and help, help people out and, and, and make friends as many as you can because it always comes back to you and it always, yeah.00:51:07.706 --> 00:51:09.117


There's, there's always a benefit to it.00:51:09.717 --> 00:51:10.976


It comes back around.00:51:10.976 --> 00:51:11.186


Yeah.00:51:11.186 --> 00:51:12.177


Even if you're not counting.00:51:12.476 --> 00:51:12.806


Right.00:51:12.867 --> 00:51:13.106


Right.00:51:13.496 --> 00:51:16.556


So I always try to be the guy that, uh, uh, overdoes it.00:51:17.186 --> 00:51:17.396


Yeah.00:51:17.757 --> 00:51:18.661


Going out and, and.00:51:19.871 --> 00:51:24.612


Hopefully that has invited us to some customers and brought us some business and, and helped us grow.00:51:24.672 --> 00:51:25.481


Oh, I'm sure it has.00:51:25.512 --> 00:51:27.251


Um, and that's how I kinda like social media.00:51:27.251 --> 00:51:31.092


I'm not super active on there anymore'cause there's just so much garbage, but Yeah.00:51:31.181 --> 00:51:36.411


Uh, every time I throw stuff out it's honest me talking and it's what's going on and yeah.00:51:36.411 --> 00:51:37.902


And kinda keep it, keep it straight.00:51:39.056 --> 00:51:48.416


Another thing I remembered about those earliest days of Matador was like you mentioned that even still the smothered burrito special remains your busy busiest day.00:51:48.416 --> 00:52:10.347


And that's like if I tell somebody about Matador, if I learned somebody that I would say when I learned that somebody lives on the Harmony Corridor or works in the Harmony corridor, I always tell them about Matador and often about specifically the Wednesday Smothered Burrito special that I used to always do, I didn't even really know, I mean, I hate to say it, but I live North Side now.00:52:10.347 --> 00:52:11.516


I just don't get down there much.00:52:11.516 --> 00:52:13.556


You know, if I'm in the neighborhood, I love would stop in, right?00:52:14.126 --> 00:52:22.286


But that is the experience that I recreate and share with people as far as what I remember about Matador.00:52:22.436 --> 00:52:27.237


You know, a lot of people have, uh, their first experience with something really hot.00:52:28.271 --> 00:52:28.601


Mm.00:52:28.722 --> 00:52:34.181


So, you know, you have someone coming gimme your hottest and you can say that in a lot of restaurants and you get away with it.00:52:34.211 --> 00:52:34.512


Yeah.00:52:34.661 --> 00:52:37.811


Uh, but we've got some pretty hot stuff and I can meal except for like Indian00:52:37.811 --> 00:52:38.802


food kind of thing.00:52:38.802 --> 00:52:39.251


Uh, yeah.00:52:39.251 --> 00:52:39.972


Or maybe some, some00:52:39.972 --> 00:52:41.771


Thai or you can really crank it up.00:52:42.402 --> 00:52:43.331


But no one expects that.00:52:43.362 --> 00:52:45.942


'cause no one else has anything even remotely is hot.00:52:46.001 --> 00:52:46.181


Yeah.00:52:46.211 --> 00:52:46.452


Yep.00:52:46.782 --> 00:52:52.452


But I'm super happy if you come in and I blow you up and ruin your meal and I make you another burrito.00:52:52.541 --> 00:52:52.811


Yeah.00:52:52.842 --> 00:52:54.041


You're gonna talk about that forever.00:52:54.047 --> 00:52:54.327


Yeah.00:52:54.331 --> 00:52:54.492


Yeah.00:52:55.181 --> 00:52:55.362


So.00:52:55.362 --> 00:53:00.251


Well, and there's the experiences that you remember at the time, like riding a roller coaster.00:53:00.702 --> 00:53:00.942


Right.00:53:01.001 --> 00:53:08.831


And there's the other experiences that you remember like being on the pot at three o'clock in the morning the next day because you had way too much hot sauce, which makes00:53:08.831 --> 00:53:09.911


it even a bigger story.00:53:09.911 --> 00:53:10.032


Right.00:53:10.632 --> 00:53:10.902


But you00:53:10.902 --> 00:53:12.012


still remember it almost00:53:12.012 --> 00:53:13.032


more fondly somehow.00:53:13.362 --> 00:53:16.032


And people see, come back and tell me those stories too though.00:53:16.032 --> 00:53:16.181


Right.00:53:16.512 --> 00:53:20.726


So there was some pretty nasty text messages at two o'clock in the morning before that.00:53:20.746 --> 00:53:21.461


That's all right.00:53:21.731 --> 00:53:23.021


Ola killed me.00:53:23.052 --> 00:53:23.322


Yep.00:53:23.711 --> 00:53:24.012


Yes.00:53:25.467 --> 00:53:27.507


Um, you wanna play the ping pong ball game?00:53:27.686 --> 00:53:27.896


Yeah.00:53:27.896 --> 00:53:28.407


Fire away.00:53:30.206 --> 00:53:35.666


So, and we usually have a, sometimes have a prize associated.00:53:35.666 --> 00:53:41.007


Would you give like a$25 gift card if somebody, uh, is the first to comment on one of these answers?00:53:41.097 --> 00:53:41.577


Absolutely.00:53:41.637 --> 00:53:41.876


Cool.00:53:43.016 --> 00:53:48.717


We will gather that and get it out there on the socials.00:53:49.286 --> 00:53:51.177


So we're gonna pick three of these balls.00:53:51.447 --> 00:53:51.536


Okay.00:53:51.536 --> 00:53:54.657


And I've got questions associated with each, so I'm just gonna hand this to you.00:53:54.661 --> 00:53:57.746


You can grab it, dig down deep if you want to.00:53:57.836 --> 00:54:00.086


Uh, but number nine.00:54:00.597 --> 00:54:05.936


Number nine, what's the strangest way you've ever injured yourself?00:54:06.686 --> 00:54:06.896


Ooh,00:54:11.396 --> 00:54:11.577


boy.00:54:11.577 --> 00:54:11.967


I don't know.00:54:11.967 --> 00:54:15.481


I, I, I've had one broken bone my entire life and I think it was.00:54:16.422 --> 00:54:18.251


Just a slide in normal kindergarten.00:54:18.431 --> 00:54:19.001


Okay.00:54:19.092 --> 00:54:19.362


Yeah.00:54:19.362 --> 00:54:21.342


So like it came down a slide and broke your ankle.00:54:21.402 --> 00:54:21.702


Yeah.00:54:21.702 --> 00:54:22.302


Broke my foot.00:54:22.362 --> 00:54:22.842


Kind of funny.00:54:22.842 --> 00:54:23.052


Yeah.00:54:23.056 --> 00:54:23.336


Yeah.00:54:23.342 --> 00:54:26.652


Um, I'm always pretty careful trying not to do stupid stuff and I00:54:27.132 --> 00:54:28.512


Your fingers all appear to be intact.00:54:28.601 --> 00:54:29.021


Yeah.00:54:29.081 --> 00:54:29.952


Like, no scars.00:54:29.981 --> 00:54:30.911


Well, I know you like to drink00:54:31.271 --> 00:54:36.431


bourbon or rye whiskey especially, and like you haven't even cut off the end of your finger a little bit.00:54:36.731 --> 00:54:36.791


No.00:54:36.791 --> 00:54:36.972


Yeah.00:54:36.972 --> 00:54:36.981


Yeah.00:54:37.217 --> 00:54:38.862


I, I really don't enjoy00:54:38.862 --> 00:54:39.251


pain.00:54:39.371 --> 00:54:43.871


So it's like you get, if you're a boxer, you get in a fight, you try not to get hit.00:54:43.871 --> 00:54:44.081


Right.00:54:44.231 --> 00:54:46.661


So try not to hurt myself, but, alright.00:54:47.021 --> 00:54:47.592


Uh, yeah.00:54:47.592 --> 00:54:49.481


Nothing major has ever been broken.00:54:49.481 --> 00:54:49.722


So.00:54:49.726 --> 00:54:49.856


Interesting.00:54:49.862 --> 00:54:50.231


I have00:54:50.952 --> 00:54:52.541


so many injuries over time.00:54:54.431 --> 00:54:58.871


Uh, even in the outdoor camping and all that stuff, you just didn't, you just get out of the fray.00:54:59.262 --> 00:54:59.711


Uh, yeah.00:54:59.711 --> 00:55:00.192


Your dad taught00:55:00.192 --> 00:55:01.271


you to be smarter than that.00:55:01.271 --> 00:55:01.961


Yeah, I think so.00:55:01.961 --> 00:55:02.172


I don't know.00:55:02.172 --> 00:55:05.411


I think my dad fell down on that job'cause I've been through some stuff.00:55:05.831 --> 00:55:06.041


Anyway.00:55:06.222 --> 00:55:07.302


Next ball, please.00:55:07.692 --> 00:55:08.442


That was a lame answer.00:55:08.442 --> 00:55:08.771


I'm sorry.00:55:09.012 --> 00:55:09.552


No, that's cool.00:55:09.702 --> 00:55:09.972


Never won.00:55:09.972 --> 00:55:10.572


Just happens.00:55:12.041 --> 00:55:14.021


What's your favorite childhood memory?00:55:15.597 --> 00:55:16.197


Oh my.00:55:16.706 --> 00:55:22.856


Um, boy, I don't even know.00:55:22.856 --> 00:55:26.007


There's so many great, great moments that I can remember.00:55:26.606 --> 00:55:28.737


Uh, some sorts rode deck of cards.00:55:29.007 --> 00:55:30.657


I wanna say one of the best things ever.00:55:30.717 --> 00:55:36.836


Um, my older brother was off at the Marines and he came back and he brought me a GI Joe helicopter.00:55:38.487 --> 00:55:41.817


Uh, it was right around my birthday and it was, you know, pretty good sized helicopter.00:55:41.817 --> 00:55:45.597


Yeah, it had a little trigger on it that would make the rotor spin, so that was one of my favorites.00:55:45.597 --> 00:55:46.976


Plus he was a military guy.00:55:46.976 --> 00:55:48.387


You looked up to him, seems like.00:55:48.387 --> 00:55:49.706


Anyway, that was really neat.00:55:49.766 --> 00:55:50.367


That's pretty cool.00:55:50.577 --> 00:55:50.786


Yeah.00:55:51.987 --> 00:55:52.586


Next question.00:55:54.327 --> 00:55:57.476


I'm gonna try to get, I usually pick the, the sassiest answer.00:55:57.567 --> 00:56:01.496


Uh, and so far those two are, the second one was better than the first one.00:56:01.496 --> 00:56:01.556


Yeah.00:56:01.556 --> 00:56:03.086


But, uh, not too exciting yet.00:56:03.121 --> 00:56:03.242


19.00:56:03.442 --> 00:56:11.907


19 is 19 said, what's your go-to excuse when you want to get out of plans?00:56:12.371 --> 00:56:13.242


Oh, you gotta work something.00:56:13.331 --> 00:56:14.231


Something happened to Matador.00:56:16.092 --> 00:56:16.572


That's easy.00:56:16.572 --> 00:56:16.871


Something broke.00:56:16.871 --> 00:56:17.021


Yep.00:56:17.952 --> 00:56:20.052


Most of the time it's that way Anyway, so that'll be our,00:56:20.052 --> 00:56:20.952


that'll be our winning.00:56:20.952 --> 00:56:30.822


So first to comment, um, time-wise, not first that we see, but we'll, we'll check all our platforms before it nominated winner, but that gotta work at Matador.00:56:30.942 --> 00:56:33.371


The dishwasher's broken or something like that.00:56:33.851 --> 00:56:35.501


Uh, is, uh, Paul's excuse.00:56:35.501 --> 00:56:36.612


So if he tells you that,00:56:37.362 --> 00:56:38.976


might I try that at home too, too, too, you know, might be an00:56:38.976 --> 00:56:39.097


excuse.00:56:39.132 --> 00:56:39.911


The kids are fighting,00:56:40.751 --> 00:56:41.501


I gotta go back to work.00:56:41.501 --> 00:56:41.952


Something happened.00:56:42.552 --> 00:56:47.021


My sense is that, uh, with Jacqueline, you would always prefer to hang out with her.00:56:47.021 --> 00:56:49.601


Has that been, that friendship been true the whole time?00:56:49.692 --> 00:56:49.871


Yeah,00:56:49.871 --> 00:56:50.081


she's00:56:50.081 --> 00:56:50.532


my favorite.00:56:50.652 --> 00:56:51.282


He's fantastic.00:56:52.271 --> 00:56:53.472


And how many years married did you say?00:56:53.711 --> 00:56:54.161


25.00:56:54.431 --> 00:56:55.121


25.00:56:55.581 --> 00:57:02.782


Paul, now is the time in the show where for particular guests, I offer them an opportunity for an infinity shot.00:57:03.592 --> 00:57:04.012


Excellent.00:57:04.342 --> 00:57:04.581


Do you know,00:57:05.751 --> 00:57:08.152


I'm aware of the infinity bottle, so I the bottle is there.00:57:08.152 --> 00:57:08.661


Yes.00:57:08.751 --> 00:57:09.021


Excellent.00:57:09.021 --> 00:57:09.052


Okay.00:57:09.112 --> 00:57:15.831


And so, uh, the Infinity shot is a, a weed ram of every lour that comes through the podcast studio.00:57:15.922 --> 00:57:16.222


Okay.00:57:16.552 --> 00:57:26.842


Um, and so it's 35% bourbon, 35% rye, 20% tequila, and 5% other, including a little splash of gin.00:57:27.262 --> 00:57:27.442


Okay.00:57:27.442 --> 00:57:29.181


From I, I bought the mob.00:57:29.902 --> 00:57:30.411


Uh.00:57:31.461 --> 00:57:34.222


Mob mountain gin today just for kick.00:57:34.222 --> 00:57:37.492


'cause I felt like the infinity bottle should have a little floral accent.00:57:37.521 --> 00:57:38.092


Sure, sure.00:57:38.391 --> 00:57:43.791


Um, so I'm gonna go grab that and then you can, we can do tasting notes on that instead of hot sauce.00:57:44.121 --> 00:57:44.452


Perfect.00:57:53.427 --> 00:57:53.547


R00:57:54.356 --> 00:57:54.827


thank you.00:57:56.206 --> 00:58:02.302


Uh, I, I can smell the gin.00:58:02.601 --> 00:58:02.931


Can you00:58:02.931 --> 00:58:03.172


really?00:58:03.172 --> 00:58:04.282


For not having very much in there.00:58:04.282 --> 00:58:04.492


Yeah.00:58:04.521 --> 00:58:04.791


Yeah.00:58:04.791 --> 00:58:04.882


It00:58:04.882 --> 00:58:09.547


can't be more than 10%, maybe seven or 10%.00:58:10.757 --> 00:58:11.782


Oh, I can smell it too.00:58:12.141 --> 00:58:12.322


Yeah.00:58:12.382 --> 00:58:13.521


That's one thing with hanging out with Sean.00:58:14.181 --> 00:58:14.842


He's a smeller.00:58:14.931 --> 00:58:16.672


He smells everything before he tries to Yeah, me too.00:58:16.672 --> 00:58:19.461


Pretty much with hot sauce too.00:58:20.032 --> 00:58:20.722


Everything, yeah.00:58:20.722 --> 00:58:22.702


Everything gets the nose treatment first.00:58:26.077 --> 00:58:26.197


Hmm.00:58:28.012 --> 00:58:29.302


It changed it so much.00:58:29.842 --> 00:58:34.192


Adding that little bit of gin, but maybe the, I dunno, it's weird.00:58:35.871 --> 00:58:36.411


It's not bad.00:58:36.411 --> 00:58:37.101


No, it's not bad.00:58:37.117 --> 00:58:37.702


No, no.00:58:37.702 --> 00:58:46.161


I mean it's, that's kind of my, that's kinda my recipe when it comes to food in a way is if you put a bunch of pretty good stuff together, you get pretty good stuff.00:58:46.461 --> 00:58:47.092


Yeah, absolutely.00:58:47.092 --> 00:58:50.722


You know, it's kind of a quality of ingredients a lot of times and stuff like that.00:58:51.291 --> 00:58:53.541


Um, and obviously technique matters.00:58:53.931 --> 00:58:54.112


Sure.00:58:54.411 --> 00:58:54.862


Right.00:58:54.862 --> 00:58:56.782


But you put good stuff together and it's hot00:58:56.782 --> 00:58:58.282


sauce, soup, chili, kind of.00:58:58.311 --> 00:58:58.851


Yeah, absolutely.00:58:58.942 --> 00:58:59.152


Yeah.00:58:59.152 --> 00:59:00.621


Soup's a good example as well.00:59:00.621 --> 00:59:07.702


Like you just, I have, I, uh, you probably do too, a cleaning out the fridge soup, have you minute Oh yeah, absolutely.00:59:08.331 --> 00:59:10.972


That recipe's, uh, at least once a month at my house,00:59:11.302 --> 00:59:17.211


uh, I usually do a, uh, a big Christmas soup of some kind, so we get turkeys.00:59:17.242 --> 00:59:19.192


So we have a carcass, a Turkey carcass that I'll save.00:59:19.192 --> 00:59:19.282


Sure.00:59:19.342 --> 00:59:19.581


Yep.00:59:19.882 --> 00:59:20.692


In-laws will have one.00:59:20.692 --> 00:59:21.532


We'll have a hand bone.00:59:22.027 --> 00:59:24.967


So I'm getting, you know, scraps from a bunch of different places.00:59:24.996 --> 00:59:25.237


Oh, cool.00:59:25.237 --> 00:59:26.347


And we're making a giant pot.00:59:26.436 --> 00:59:26.947


Yeah.00:59:26.947 --> 00:59:26.956


Yeah.00:59:27.396 --> 00:59:29.887


And then, uh, I'll just make like some Turkey ham noodle soup.00:59:30.186 --> 00:59:30.817


Yeah.00:59:30.817 --> 00:59:35.197


Uh, and then throw'em all in little, little deli containers and freeze a bunch of it.00:59:35.197 --> 00:59:36.367


And then we've got soup for a year.00:59:36.516 --> 00:59:37.327


I've never.00:59:38.061 --> 00:59:40.851


Had ham with my Turkey soup before that.00:59:40.851 --> 00:59:42.442


That seems obvious.00:59:42.442 --> 00:59:44.842


Like when you've got left, why not just throw that in there too?00:59:44.931 --> 00:59:45.172


Right.00:59:45.202 --> 00:59:52.791


But it's otherwise kind of a chicken stock base with carrots and onions and celery and maybe some turnips potatoes.00:59:52.822 --> 00:59:53.001


Yeah.00:59:53.001 --> 00:59:59.661


I've been getting kinda lazy with it lately, but I love saving just all of the vegetable trimming you have and then, you know, you throw it in a a Ziploc bag, throw it in the freezer.01:00:00.112 --> 01:00:00.351


Hmm.01:00:00.561 --> 01:00:01.942


And then when it's time, dump it all in there.01:00:02.422 --> 01:00:11.722


And if you wanna go crazy when you're making your stock, take all of the solids outta there when you drain'em and then run'em through a juicer and you get this crazy thick Oh, interesting.01:00:11.722 --> 01:00:12.681


Crazy stock,01:00:13.431 --> 01:00:13.791


huh?01:00:14.181 --> 01:00:16.431


I have not done that before, but that's interesting.01:00:16.672 --> 01:00:18.952


Um, and then it, it's super concentrated.01:00:19.101 --> 01:00:19.251


Sure.01:00:19.251 --> 01:00:21.172


We do, uh, ramen night every once in a while.01:00:21.172 --> 01:00:22.612


So just bunch of noodles.01:00:22.672 --> 01:00:23.001


Yeah.01:00:23.032 --> 01:00:26.271


Bring out that stock, heat it up and then you can throw whatever you want in there.01:00:26.271 --> 01:00:27.742


Kinda a ramen bar at home kind of thing.01:00:27.742 --> 01:00:27.922


Yeah.01:00:27.922 --> 01:00:30.532


You can throw the hard boiled eggs on there and whatever else.01:00:30.532 --> 01:00:30.592


Yeah.01:00:30.592 --> 01:00:32.181


But that's the easy part, right?01:00:32.572 --> 01:00:32.722


Huh?01:00:33.021 --> 01:00:33.291


Cool.01:00:33.742 --> 01:00:34.132


I dig it.01:00:34.641 --> 01:00:41.692


Well, let's drift into the Loco experience segment because you said you got a bunch of crazy stories like airplane wides on first dates and stuff.01:00:41.692 --> 01:00:49.192


So the loco experiences typically are the craziest experience of your lifetime that you wanna share with our listeners.01:00:49.987 --> 01:00:53.827


Um, but if you've got two or three that are doozies, I'm, I'm all ears.01:00:53.827 --> 01:00:54.817


'cause, uh,01:00:56.077 --> 01:00:56.317


yeah.01:00:56.317 --> 01:00:56.586


Well, I01:00:56.586 --> 01:00:57.516


like the good stories.01:00:57.632 --> 01:01:00.132


Uh, one of the, one of the craziest things, but, but you're also risk01:01:00.132 --> 01:01:02.692


averse it sounds like, at least from a physical standpoint.01:01:02.827 --> 01:01:03.817


Yeah, absolutely.01:01:04.056 --> 01:01:12.277


Um, so one of those trips to Egypt, we were actually going to the middle of the western desert, so absolutely middle of nowhere Egypt.01:01:12.666 --> 01:01:12.936


Okay.01:01:13.086 --> 01:01:19.416


So if you go from Cairo, uh, 60 miles south and then you go a hundred miles west, okay.01:01:19.416 --> 01:01:20.976


We're literally in the middle of nowhere.01:01:20.981 --> 01:01:21.152


Yeah.01:01:21.157 --> 01:01:21.396


Yeah.01:01:21.427 --> 01:01:24.306


And, uh, the sand dunes are nothing like you.01:01:25.356 --> 01:01:31.356


Saw growing up on national geo gravity, or at least that I remember, it'd be long stretch for maybe a mile flat.01:01:31.356 --> 01:01:35.047


And then there'd be a giant a hundred foot sand dune and then long stretch giant sand dune.01:01:35.047 --> 01:01:36.817


So that's the way the environment was there at least.01:01:36.817 --> 01:01:37.266


Interesting.01:01:37.476 --> 01:01:39.666


And those dunes probably move around a little bit over time.01:01:39.666 --> 01:01:41.467


I'm, but they kind of are collectors of sand.01:01:41.556 --> 01:01:42.396


The road's terrible.01:01:43.027 --> 01:01:43.297


Yep.01:01:43.416 --> 01:01:46.447


The driver doesn't wanna be there, you know, I don't speak Arabic.01:01:46.447 --> 01:01:48.126


He might know nine words in English.01:01:48.157 --> 01:01:48.516


Right.01:01:48.547 --> 01:01:51.847


We've got a guy with us that translates, that helps us, you know, dig holes and whatever.01:01:51.847 --> 01:02:05.436


But, uh, my brother-in-law and I are sitting in the back of this suburban and we come around one of these, uh, big sand dunes and there's three or four guys outside of a little, you know, little short, early eighties, uh, Toyota white pickup.01:02:06.516 --> 01:02:06.817


Okay.01:02:06.817 --> 01:02:07.056


Yep.01:02:07.387 --> 01:02:08.556


Just like my grandpa used to have.01:02:08.586 --> 01:02:08.916


Yeah.01:02:08.947 --> 01:02:09.157


Yeah.01:02:09.157 --> 01:02:09.367


Right.01:02:10.447 --> 01:02:10.927


Super.01:02:10.927 --> 01:02:11.496


Uh, tiny thing.01:02:11.496 --> 01:02:11.766


Yeah.01:02:12.516 --> 01:02:13.777


Uh, and then two hamsters01:02:13.777 --> 01:02:14.407


for an engine.01:02:14.496 --> 01:02:15.067


Absolutely.01:02:15.067 --> 01:02:15.336


Yeah.01:02:15.981 --> 01:02:18.112


So we're cruising down this road, you know, we're bouncing all over the place.01:02:18.112 --> 01:02:19.041


We're just getting beat up in here.01:02:19.222 --> 01:02:19.251


Okay.01:02:19.972 --> 01:02:20.992


Fly by those guys.01:02:20.992 --> 01:02:25.192


They all jump and hop into their truck and they come tearing off after us.01:02:25.251 --> 01:02:25.641


Okay.01:02:25.641 --> 01:02:26.782


So we're on a single laid road.01:02:26.782 --> 01:02:29.032


They're kind of in the ditch bouncing up next to us.01:02:29.692 --> 01:02:33.501


And I look over and they've got, you know, scarves over their faces and they've all got guns.01:02:33.802 --> 01:02:33.981


Oh.01:02:33.981 --> 01:02:36.112


I'm like, this is, that was a checkpoint.01:02:36.112 --> 01:02:36.586


You just passed.01:02:36.911 --> 01:02:37.672


We're gonna die today.01:02:38.961 --> 01:02:41.992


And the driver's just window up, doesn't care.01:02:42.711 --> 01:02:51.021


And the, the guy in the pickup is halfway outta the truck, beaten on the driver's window, and he finally rolls it down and looks at him and, uh, shouting on the Arabic, I don't know.01:02:51.501 --> 01:02:52.282


And he said, no.01:02:52.521 --> 01:03:00.112


And he rolls his window up, the guy did it again, and then he rolls it down and he just grabs a bottle of water and slaps it over and hits this truck and it just blows up on the windshield.01:03:00.112 --> 01:03:02.572


And they, they pull off and, uh, and stop.01:03:03.202 --> 01:03:06.081


And then my buddies, I'm like, we asked him what happened.01:03:06.231 --> 01:03:06.532


Yeah.01:03:06.592 --> 01:03:08.152


He said they wanted our gas.01:03:08.157 --> 01:03:08.387


Okay.01:03:09.262 --> 01:03:12.652


And then they wanted our water, gas pirates, basically, because they're stuck in the middle of nowhere.01:03:12.652 --> 01:03:13.132


Yeah.01:03:13.132 --> 01:03:13.141


Yeah.01:03:13.581 --> 01:03:16.371


And then, uh, they wanted our water, so he gave him the water and he kept going.01:03:18.141 --> 01:03:23.992


It's like, so from then on we started hiring airplanes to get in and out or flying, flying airplanes, kicking and out.01:03:24.112 --> 01:03:26.751


A lot of those oil finders have their own airplane and they fly their employees in and out.01:03:26.751 --> 01:03:26.992


Sure.01:03:27.322 --> 01:03:29.211


We stopped traveling on the roads after that.01:03:29.302 --> 01:03:35.061


Yeah, that seems a little intense that, uh, if the insurance agent hears about that he is gonna want a little higher price for the policy.01:03:35.061 --> 01:03:38.032


I did not tell my wife about that one for a while.01:03:38.092 --> 01:03:38.211


Yeah.01:03:38.211 --> 01:03:40.702


Until after we were done with all of our Egypt trips.01:03:40.702 --> 01:03:41.271


So that was a01:03:41.512 --> 01:03:43.041


So you did that for a while, right?01:03:43.041 --> 01:03:44.541


Like five or seven years or something?01:03:44.541 --> 01:03:45.652


Or three or five years?01:03:45.771 --> 01:03:49.641


Um, I can't even re I wanna say six trips total.01:03:49.641 --> 01:03:54.141


Maybe we would go for like four or five, six weeks and then come back for a while and then do it again.01:03:54.141 --> 01:03:54.411


Okay.01:03:54.952 --> 01:03:56.512


But there was other work around here too.01:03:57.351 --> 01:04:01.402


Uh, yeah, he was still, um, as a professor first off.01:04:01.492 --> 01:04:01.672


Sure.01:04:01.672 --> 01:04:05.242


But think he had another, another side business that he was, uh, working as well.01:04:05.692 --> 01:04:08.152


Uh, that he employed all of his kids at some point or another.01:04:08.271 --> 01:04:08.362


Oh,01:04:08.362 --> 01:04:08.782


interesting.01:04:08.782 --> 01:04:11.992


So great First jobs, great experience, great money to help him get through college.01:04:12.052 --> 01:04:12.472


Yeah.01:04:12.472 --> 01:04:12.481


Yeah.01:04:12.771 --> 01:04:16.222


Uh, but he was like, he was the guy that just put everyone in his family first.01:04:16.222 --> 01:04:18.021


Like he absolutely made sure everyone was set up and perfect.01:04:18.021 --> 01:04:18.202


So,01:04:18.411 --> 01:04:18.652


yeah.01:04:18.831 --> 01:04:20.632


Um, yeah.01:04:20.632 --> 01:04:26.061


Um, I don't even remember any of the real projects I was doing in, in town here'cause they weren't as big as Yeah.01:04:26.061 --> 01:04:26.751


Born as flying.01:04:26.751 --> 01:04:28.311


Right, right, right, right.01:04:28.431 --> 01:04:35.601


Um, but they all, you know, a lot of advanced degrees from those guys that he helped him get through, get through college and, and, and keep working.01:04:36.052 --> 01:04:40.161


Uh, I think my wife's the only one now that's actually still working in engineering.01:04:40.161 --> 01:04:42.382


Everyone else has kind of done other stuff.01:04:42.382 --> 01:04:45.322


Some software development or interesting entrepreneurial of some01:04:45.322 --> 01:04:46.161


different things.01:04:46.612 --> 01:04:46.882


Yeah.01:04:46.882 --> 01:04:50.452


So everyone, well, maybe part-time out of another one, but yeah.01:04:50.541 --> 01:04:52.251


Uh, my wife's really the only engineer.01:04:52.342 --> 01:04:53.692


And what she, what kind of01:04:53.692 --> 01:04:54.141


engineer is01:04:54.141 --> 01:04:54.231


she?01:04:54.802 --> 01:04:56.271


Uh, so she's a civil engineer.01:04:56.722 --> 01:04:57.021


Okay.01:04:57.021 --> 01:04:58.612


And, uh, she does, uh, storm water.01:04:59.181 --> 01:04:59.512


Okay.01:04:59.871 --> 01:05:02.422


Um, so you, the CSUF flood that came through.01:05:02.427 --> 01:05:02.606


Yeah.01:05:02.612 --> 01:05:02.811


Yeah.01:05:02.811 --> 01:05:07.282


So she designed that, uh, Fox Meadows area on the west side of town Yep.01:05:07.342 --> 01:05:10.311


To kind of cr capture any kinda runoff that would Oh, wow.01:05:10.317 --> 01:05:10.407


Interesting.01:05:10.407 --> 01:05:12.021


Slip through CSUI01:05:12.021 --> 01:05:12.382


think.01:05:12.382 --> 01:05:14.782


Uh, what are your worst spots when it rains heavy.01:05:14.782 --> 01:05:16.851


We've had some nice rains the last couple days here.01:05:16.851 --> 01:05:17.092


I know.01:05:17.092 --> 01:05:19.072


Lame kind of riverside area.01:05:19.072 --> 01:05:19.911


There is a little,01:05:20.152 --> 01:05:20.452


yeah.01:05:20.452 --> 01:05:20.961


Little thick01:05:20.961 --> 01:05:21.742


sometimes.01:05:21.742 --> 01:05:26.391


It's funny when it, when it gets really nasty, you know, my wife wants to go drive around and look at the projects.01:05:27.021 --> 01:05:27.802


How's that one to hold up?01:05:27.802 --> 01:05:28.101


How's that?01:05:29.181 --> 01:05:30.442


Uh, we have a lake at Matador.01:05:31.117 --> 01:05:31.507


Oh, do you?01:05:31.507 --> 01:05:34.927


Every time it rains, we there in the parking, parking lot there just completely floods over.01:05:34.956 --> 01:05:36.487


That's Oh, what's it drain out to?01:05:36.637 --> 01:05:37.891


Or is it just, just the problem?01:05:37.922 --> 01:05:38.677


Just broken pipe.01:05:38.677 --> 01:05:39.186


That doesn't work.01:05:39.186 --> 01:05:39.487


Yeah.01:05:39.637 --> 01:05:40.086


Oh, interesting.01:05:40.297 --> 01:05:44.016


It was gone for a little while and I think the landlord came and maybe worked on it for a little bit.01:05:44.047 --> 01:05:44.496


Yeah.01:05:44.496 --> 01:05:46.237


And now it was back yesterday after the,01:05:46.956 --> 01:05:49.777


if he listens to this message, then uh, he's on notice.01:05:49.806 --> 01:05:50.016


Yeah.01:05:50.467 --> 01:06:00.277


Um, what would you wanna share with, with anybody out there, uh, especially about this hot nugs conversations that are gonna be released in the midst of this episode coming out?01:06:00.757 --> 01:06:04.086


Like, are you a fan or was Shawn a fan of the hot nugs?01:06:04.237 --> 01:06:05.527


How did, where did this come from?01:06:06.157 --> 01:06:10.896


Uh, well, I, I, I'm pretty sure Adam threw out the idea at first.01:06:10.896 --> 01:06:11.016


Oh yeah.01:06:11.077 --> 01:06:13.836


And then, uh, Sean and I, you ran with it.01:06:13.987 --> 01:06:15.277


We work right next door, right.01:06:15.277 --> 01:06:15.336


Yeah.01:06:15.336 --> 01:06:16.806


His, his shop's right next door to the restaurant.01:06:16.806 --> 01:06:16.896


And01:06:16.896 --> 01:06:19.476


you guys have been friends for 20 years, so,01:06:19.987 --> 01:06:21.817


uh, maybe not quite that long, but 10 for sure.01:06:21.936 --> 01:06:22.206


Yeah.01:06:22.567 --> 01:06:24.637


Um, yeah.01:06:24.637 --> 01:06:26.166


And it just kinda like, yeah, let's do it.01:06:26.166 --> 01:06:30.036


It, it's neat'cause it's a, it's a personal conversation with someone and it's not.01:06:30.336 --> 01:06:33.606


I mean, you're, you're, you gave them the answers or you gave'em the questions.01:06:33.606 --> 01:06:34.146


I mean Sure.01:06:34.177 --> 01:06:40.777


So they were prepared so they don't look dumb, but you're still getting an honest answer and you're following up and you're getting them as a person and Yeah.01:06:41.047 --> 01:06:42.007


Politicians suck.01:06:42.067 --> 01:06:43.867


So having the person, how can you01:06:43.867 --> 01:06:45.516


vote based on comparing websites?01:06:45.577 --> 01:06:45.936


Right.01:06:46.356 --> 01:06:55.806


So I I, I love the aspect of, of getting in there and, and you know, whatever story, what have you broken or, or, you know, those things are, I don't think we've got anything scandalous so far.01:06:56.376 --> 01:06:56.677


Right.01:06:57.547 --> 01:07:01.266


But that side of it's a lot more fun at, at least local politics I think are kind of important.01:07:01.476 --> 01:07:01.717


Yeah.01:07:01.806 --> 01:07:04.567


Um, and it, it's more who that person is, I think.01:07:04.567 --> 01:07:04.777


Yeah.01:07:05.257 --> 01:07:05.856


Is Butterfly.01:07:05.947 --> 01:07:08.947


Well I was sweating a lot more than Adam was in, uh, our01:07:08.947 --> 01:07:09.666


conversation this01:07:09.666 --> 01:07:09.936


week.01:07:09.936 --> 01:07:10.237


So01:07:10.507 --> 01:07:13.836


I think he's secretly training for the crazy hot he was killing.01:07:15.666 --> 01:07:16.567


That wouldn't surprise me.01:07:16.567 --> 01:07:16.746


Yeah.01:07:17.226 --> 01:07:18.547


Uh, we're building up to it.01:07:18.967 --> 01:07:21.516


Well, um, I'm looking forward to my next trip.01:07:22.146 --> 01:07:26.137


To Matador and, uh, my next conversation with you.01:07:26.347 --> 01:07:26.527


Yeah.01:07:26.527 --> 01:07:27.097


Thank you so much.01:07:27.097 --> 01:07:27.996


So thanks for being here today.01:07:28.056 --> 01:07:28.177


Yeah.01:07:28.177 --> 01:07:28.777


Thank you guys.01:07:28.777 --> 01:07:29.077


Be Paul.