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JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

Written by: Better with Bacon Fat Studios / Justin Bizzarro
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 Free Podcast. No Advertisements. The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business. What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?A Better with Bacon Fat Studios Ltd. Production. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Art Cooking Economics Food & Wine Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Episode 518: John Smiddy of NutaMarketers - Las Vegas, NV. From Warped Tour Musician to Scaling Supplement Brands. The Math Behind the Marketing. From Rock Shop Kid to MULTI-EQUIPED ENTREPRENEUR.

    Episode 518: John Smiddy of NutaMarketers - Las Vegas, NV. From Warped Tour Musician to Scaling Supplement Brands. The Math Behind the Marketing. From Rock Shop Kid to MULTI-EQUIPED ENTREPRENEUR.
    Feb 9 2026

    How does a kid selling rocks from his bedroom turn into a touring musician, and eventually the founder of a powerhouse marketing agency?

    In this episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, Justin sits down with John Smiddy, the visionary behind NutraMarketers (www.nutramarketers.com).

    This conversation dives deep into the gritty reality of building a business from the ground up. Justin and John bond over the mental toughness forged through physical disciplines like 75 Hard, exploring how training the body is the ultimate preparation for surviving the chaotic, high-stress world of entrepreneurship.

    John pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to market consumer packaged goods and nutritional supplements today. Listeners will get a masterclass in consumer psychology, learning why having a great product simply isn't enough if you don't understand the math behind your marketing. John breaks down the exact formulas for scaling: balancing customer acquisition cost (CAC), maximizing lifetime value (LTV) through strategic subscribe-and-save models, and crafting a unique "story within the formula" that builds instant brand credibility.

    Whether you are trying to break into a crowded retail market, dialing in your e-commerce strategy, or just need the raw motivation to keep pushing forward when you want to throw in the towel, this episode delivers the exact playbook you need to win.

    Address: www.nutramarketers.com

    Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast

    Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )

    Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? – Justin Bizzarro is a serial food, restaurant, technology, media and marketing entrepreneur, who helped build a 24-year-old group of food and restaurant related businesses, he created with his father and business partners out of his family’s basement, in 1998. He is a highly desired business management, personal and athlete growth, free market, food diversity, and entrepreneurial leadership speaker. Justin’s expertise are in human growth, motivation, leadership and management development, health foods and beverages, global lean manufacturing facilities, vertically integrating businesses, food marketing and advertising, supply chain creation and management, direct to consumer fulfillment, transportation and distribution, personal brand building, restaurant development and construction, and entrepreneur acceleration. Justin received his BA in International Business and Management from Dickinson College, in 2002, and his MBA from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity in Leadership from Denver Seminary. His leadership and entrepreneur podcasts have positively impacted millions of people across the globe.

    Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction

    Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog

    On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram

    GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96

    Free Podcast. No Advertisements. The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business. What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?

    JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

    Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com

    Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )

    All music is scored by host or royalty free.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 517: Michael Spencer of Nash Dogs - Nashville, TN [Part 7]. Remember JUDAS DIES ALONE for 30 Pieces of Silver. Garage Hot Dog Stand to Big Café. The Nash [TOWN] Dogs Rise Despite All Odds.

    Episode 517: Michael Spencer of Nash Dogs - Nashville, TN [Part 7]. Remember JUDAS DIES ALONE for 30 Pieces of Silver. Garage Hot Dog Stand to Big Café. The Nash [TOWN] Dogs Rise Despite All Odds.
    Feb 2 2026
    What does it actually take to turn a dilapidated fast-food shell into a thriving, community-centered brand? In this gritty and revealing episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro welcomes back Michael Spencer, the founder of Nash Dogs, for a raw look at the transition from food truck to brick-and-mortar. This isn't just a success story; it’s a survival guide. Michael walks listeners through the harrowing eight-month journey of converting an old Subway location into his new café. He shares the nightmares that no business plan can predict: peeling back wallpaper to find walls crumbling with black mold, HVAC units venting directly into block walls, and contractors quoting $30,000 for grease traps that the city eventually approved for $2,000. Discover the financial and emotional reality of scaling up. Michael explains how a project budgeted for $35,000 ballooned to $65,000, and how he had to teach himself mold remediation to save the budget. He opens up about a frustrating battle with a sign contractor who took his money and delivered nothing, highlighting the critical importance of integrity and iron-clad contracts in a world where handshake deals are fading. But the struggle yielded massive rewards. Michael details the strategic menu expansion that turned Nash Dogs from a lunch stop into a destination. Learn how adding high-margin items like homemade banana pudding (a customer favorite), loaded curly fries, and fountain drinks increased his average ticket from $11 to nearly $18. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, resourcefulness, and the power of asking questions. It’s about the difference between a task-oriented manager and an entrepreneurial leader, and why, in a world of shortcuts and "good enough," sticking to your morals and delivering excellence is the only way to build a legacy that lasts. Key Takeaways The General Contractor Trap: How Michael saved over $25,000 by calling the city water department himself rather than accepting a contractor's quote for a grease trap. Menu Engineering: The pivot from pre-packaged sides to high-margin, house-made items like banana pudding and loaded fries to boost profitability. The Reality of Renovation: The unexpected horrors of taking over a second-generation restaurant space, including mold remediation and HVAC failures. Marketing for Survival: Why waiting for customers to walk in is a death sentence, and Michael's strategy of hiring a marketer to aggressively pursue B2B catering. Integrity as a Strategy: The long-term value of keeping your word and building a brand based on trust, even when vendors and contractors fail to do the same. IG: @nashdogs Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME ) Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? – Justin Bizzarro is a serial food, restaurant, technology, media and marketing entrepreneur, who helped build a 24-year-old group of food and restaurant related businesses, he created with his father and business partners out of his family’s basement, in 1998. He is a highly desired business management, personal and athlete growth, free market, food diversity, and entrepreneurial leadership speaker. Justin’s expertise are in human growth, motivation, leadership and management development, health foods and beverages, global lean manufacturing facilities, vertically integrating businesses, food marketing and advertising, supply chain creation and management, direct to consumer fulfillment, transportation and distribution, personal brand building, restaurant development and construction, and entrepreneur acceleration. Justin received his BA in International Business and Management from Dickinson College, in 2002, and his MBA from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity in Leadership from Denver Seminary. His leadership and entrepreneur podcasts have positively impacted millions of people across the globe. Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96 Free Podcast. No Advertisements. The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business. What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur? JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs ) All music is scored by host or royalty free.
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    2 hrs and 1 min
  • Episode 516: Kim Prince of Hotville Chicken and Dulansville Food Truck - Los Angeles, CA. The [TRUE] Legacy of Nashville Hot Chicken. The Spicy Journey From Nashtown to LA. GREAT LEGACY = BIG ONUS.

    Episode 516: Kim Prince of Hotville Chicken and Dulansville Food Truck - Los Angeles, CA. The [TRUE] Legacy of Nashville Hot Chicken. The Spicy Journey From Nashtown to LA. GREAT LEGACY = BIG ONUS.
    Jan 26 2026
    How does a family recipe born in the 1930s survive Jim Crow, traverse the country to Los Angeles, withstand a global pandemic, and spark a worldwide culinary phenomenon? In this fiery episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro sits down with Kim Prince, the dynamic force behind Hotville Chicken and the Dulansville Food Truck. Kim is third-generation royalty of the Prince family—the undisputed originators of Nashville Hot Chicken. This is not just a story about frying poultry; it is a masterclass in legacy, resilience, and the relentless spirit of "keeping it going." Kim takes listeners back to her roots in College Grove, Tennessee, where she grew up on 13 acres in a family of educators and entrepreneurs. She shares the profound advice passed down from her grandmother: "Handle many pots." This mantra drove Kim to master multiple skills, from the entertainment industry to the kitchen, eventually leading her to bring the authentic heat of Nashville to Los Angeles in 2016. The conversation dives deep into the realities of operating in a tough market. Kim details the rollercoaster of opening a brick-and-mortar location in Baldwin Hills, only to face the "triple threat" of COVID-19, civil unrest, and gentrification that led to the demolition of her building. Rather than folding, she pivoted. Discover how she formed a powerful partnership with Greg Doolin (of Doolin’s Soul Food) to launch the Dulansville Food Truck, a mobile concept that combines the best of both their family legacies. This episode explores the soul behind the spice. Kim explains why she refuses to compromise the integrity of the product for rapid expansion, emphasizing that true Nashville Hot Chicken isn't just about heat—it's about a 24-hour marinade, hand-dredging, and a specific frying process that requires patience and love. She also touches on her work with World Central Kitchen, feeding communities during wildfires, proving that a business is only as strong as its connection to the people it serves. Key Takeaways: The Origin Story: The history of the Prince family and how they turned a revenge recipe into a global staple. The "Handle Many Pots" Philosophy: How diversifying skills prepares an entrepreneur for the unexpected. Resilience in Crisis: How Hotville pivoted from a closed restaurant to a thriving food truck through strategic partnership. Authenticity over Expansion: Why Kim chooses to keep the operation tight to ensure quality rather than selling out for rapid franchising. Community First: The role of the food truck in disaster relief and community support. IG: @hotvillechicken IG: @dulanville IG: @dulangregory IG: @kimprincetwin Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME ) Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? – Justin Bizzarro is a serial food, restaurant, technology, media and marketing entrepreneur, who helped build a 24-year-old group of food and restaurant related businesses, he created with his father and business partners out of his family’s basement, in 1998. He is a highly desired business management, personal and athlete growth, free market, food diversity, and entrepreneurial leadership speaker. Justin’s expertise are in human growth, motivation, leadership and management development, health foods and beverages, global lean manufacturing facilities, vertically integrating businesses, food marketing and advertising, supply chain creation and management, direct to consumer fulfillment, transportation and distribution, personal brand building, restaurant development and construction, and entrepreneur acceleration. Justin received his BA in International Business and Management from Dickinson College, in 2002, and his MBA from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity in Leadership from Denver Seminary. His leadership and entrepreneur podcasts have positively impacted millions of people across the globe. Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96 Free Podcast. No Advertisements. The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business. What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur? JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs ) All music is scored by host or royalty free.
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    1 hr and 14 mins
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