Justin Brown: I Do Not Have Followers, I Have My People

I had a goal, not a real goal, but I was just like, I'm just gonna keep doing it. I didn't have a goal, I'm gonna get 500 K followers, I'm gonna make it to me. That wasn't my goal, my goal was to let people know the places that I like. And that was my only goal, and then it turned into what it is now, where people have fans, people have followers. I have neither. I have my people. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another exciting episode of Mick I'm Plugged, and today we're here with a guy who doesn't know it, but he's actually the one that got me into content on Instagram. We're talking to none other than Justin, the real food stalker, proud. How you doing today, brother? Hey, man, I'm doing great, man. I'm just glad to be here, man. I appreciate you even giving me the opportunity to be here, man. Well, I had to give you a try, right? He got to give you a close a try. Yeah, he didn't give you a try, he didn't give you a try, man. So I won't be real, I'm gonna be honest with you. When I started the podcast like two and a half years ago, I was a LinkedIn guy, right? So for me, social media, like the business side of me, everything was LinkedIn, and I looked at every other thing as like, I don't need to be there. Just a whole bunch of kids on Instagram or TikTok or whatever, but my business manager was like, hey, Mick, you at least got to go on Instagram. So I said, let me see what it's about. I followed you my very first day on Instagram and you changed my life to you because I loved how authentic you were. I loved how positive you were. And it was just amazing to see the work you were putting in. And I was like, all right, I can go on Instagram and I'm just gonna be me. I'm not trying to please the whole world. I'm not trying to be silly or funny or anything like that. I can be me. And it was because of you, bro. Oh, man. See, and that's the power of the internet is that you can motivate somebody without even knowing that you're motivating. And I get I got lucky that I got to just be me. And that's so it's not like when I'm done, I got to hit a switch and go back to I get to be me. So the on switch is on at all times. So even when I'm not eating or I'm not doing nerd stuff, people know that's me. So it's like all my friends know it's me. And they're like, yeah, you got to stay true to yourself. And I did, I got to. So that's the fun part of it is that I don't have to change the hardest part of it is that I don't really care about pleasing people. So that's so and people are always like, hey man, you need to show us where where you eat this bad. And I'm like, why? Like if you're asking for directions, if you say, how do I get the limits wrong? And I give you the directions. Do you want me to tell you the wrong directions also? Like, why would you want that? So people want me to be negative about certain stuff. And they're like, nah, you can people I was trying to make it seem like you're not being negative when you are being negative. It's not negative. You're being honest. But sometimes honesty is negative. It's going to have a negative reflect regardless if you are being honest. So I'm not saying you shouldn't be honest, but I'm saying if you can go around it and not post what I dislike and just show you what I like. I mean, that's what I'm going to do. No, I love it, man. It's all positive vibes. And, you know, I always start my show by asking my guest, what's there because? Right? That thing that's deeper than your why. If I were to ask Justin, your why is probably your children and food, right? But if I were to say, why is that your why? Like, what's what's the deeper reason that sentence usually starts with will be cause? And I care about that. So if I were to say Justin, all the amazing things that you do, the impact that you're making, not just here in Atlanta, but all over the East Coast and flying out the Phoenix and California to do these reviews and inspire people, what's your because? I mean, my because it's simple. It's like, I love to eat. And since I've been younger, high school, people always ask me like, where to go eat? Where to go eat? Yeah. And really, I just enjoy it. So it's not really a because it's not, it's not like I'm doing it. Like to make, I'm giving up people are journey of a foodie. Like, this is just what I enjoy. And if you go to a couple of places that I like, and you enjoy it, your taste buds probably similar to mine. And then I have people who don't go out to eat much and they just started going out to eat. And their taste buds are similar to mine. So it's making it easy for them to go on a date night. So for me, my because was just because I was looking at stuff. And I didn't, not that I don't like the way other people do their content. I just always felt like I got to see people eat food. And that's really what made me, you know, cameras because I couldn't tell for a picture. If a picture's a thousand words, then a video got to be a million words because now you can see the texture. You can, when I bite something, you can tell if it's tender and like a picture, a picture could trick you. And so I'm not much for, so I look at pictures. I can say it might be good. But if I see it, a video of it breaking, I can tell. I can tell when you really enjoy something because your eyes close. And it's taking you back to a spot. Like you get that smile, that warm feeling on your faces. Like, oh, he really likes that one. When did this journey start for you, man? Like, okay, when did you say, I'm gonna do this. All right. So I had food stalker where I was just taking pictures of food. And I wasn't, I wasn't doing it because I wanted to do a magazine myself. Like I really, that's what I wanted to do when I was like in 2010. I was already had food stalker because and food stalker came about because I used to watch people like I'm sitting and the food would come by. And I would always ask the waiter, which is, hey, what did they just get? And then my wife was like, man, you stalking people. And I'm like, yeah, I'm a food stalker. I can't help it. So, so for me, what was the question, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. When did the journey begin for you? It really began in 2010. But I wasn't eating on camera. 20 or 20, 21 is when I started eating around COVID. I started eating on camera. And then we couldn't go out and my kids were like, you should eat on camera. You make food look good because funny thing is I have to get them sometimes because sometimes I'll take something that I hate, but I can hold it in longer enough to make them want to taste it. And then it was like, you need to eat on camera because you make stuff look good because anytime I got something that's super good, I can't hide that it was super good. And they always want to buy it. And I can't tell my girls know because I got all girls. So it's like, stop asking me for stuff. So that's why I get call eating in my car. And that's why I'm not eating the car because I do it a lot. So before I get home, I'm like, I got to eat. But it started 2021, 2021. Okay. First video may have been 2021. 2021. Yeah. And so I'm going to move us to what I call the unplugged truth with that statement right there. Because I think the key to what you do and why I followed you was because you're very consistent, right? Like there's been a lot of folks on social media, a lot of food reviewers that pop up. And then after six, seven little takes, they're done, right? You've been very consistent with what you do. Talk about the power consistency, man. This is everything. It don't matter what it is. You can win with just that. Yeah. Like I'm talking about you can win in all parts of life, whether it's your job, whether it's social media, whether you chasing some girl that you want. If you consistent, you might win her over. Like I'm telling you, you can win the biggest battle with just consistency. That's that's for football players basketball players. If you consistent, you're going to work out every day. Yeah. It's going to make something positive. It's going to happen eventually. So consistency is the biggest thing. You don't have to be. I'm not the most talented. I'm not. It's just not. I'm not the most handsome. So it's people out here that it's taking stuff for granted. Like you got something. And if you were consistent, you would be even bigger than you are. Whatever you're doing, you could be bigger. But you have people who got real talent. And it just not as consistent. So I think consistency is one thing. But I'll tell you this. Like you said, you might have some people who start food blogging and six, seven videos and they're done. And they're done because I'm going to tell you, I spent a lot of money eating out started because nobody wanted to say they come eat for free. All right. Let me pay you. They wasn't doing that. And if you look at the first videos from 2021, I was eating every day. And when people were like, you don't eat at home. I literally do eat at home because my wife was cooking. But my daughter is cooking. So it's like I could get home cooking meals every day. But that's not what I wanted to do because my kids am I right now finna cook for y'all. So me doing a video for that is not going to help y'all at all. So I was spending every day. My wife was like, you're spending too much eating. I'm like, we could go on vacation. I'm like, we're still going to go on vacation. Chill. So it's funny that that's that's a that's a reason a lot of people probably stop because when you start, you got to pay for your own food. And then maybe you want to get to go to some of the best restaurants because some of them are high. So that could stop somebody but for me, I had a goal. Not a real goal. But I was just like, I'm just going to keep doing. I didn't have a goal. I'm gonna get 500 K followers. I'm gonna make it to me. That wasn't my goal. My goal was to let people know the places that I like. And that was my only goal. And then it turned into what it is now where people see me. And it's not people have fans. People have followers. I have neither. I have my people. So anytime I meet people and they're like, I'm a big fan. I'm like, no, you're my people. So that's so there are my people. That's just what's going on. I love that man. For the person that's watching or listening right now, talk to us about the world of content. Like what? equipment, just in use, but how do you do the editing? Because again, even that part is consistency. And I tell people, it's not as expensive as you think it is, but you still need the right stuff every once in a while. - I'm gonna tell you, I'm not like, when I say this, people are gonna say, "Man, I can do it." Because this is all I got, phones. These are all forms that I probably use the camera at some point on, and that's it. That's all I ever had in me and my wife, she was editing, and then she got tired of it, and she showed me how to edit. So, one of my phones, I got too many phones, I promise you. - We're gonna talk about Justin's side business, you know what I'm saying? - Listen, you gotta have pages if you follow them. (laughing) - Hey, I was in that, I'm in that era. I had pages, flip phones, all day. - Yes, sir, sir. - But, what were we saying? 'Cause my phone just threw me off, but-- - You're not good, you were talking about the editing. - They, okay, so my wife was editing. And she still do it here and there to help me out, 'cause I, I work a lot, she works a lot, and she still do it, but she showed me how to edit. Like, we were just using just CapCut. And we didn't even pay for CapCut. We were just using the free stuff. So, that's all I ever use, and that's the good thing about me and I, like, you have some people, I see why they overlooked me, because I don't do the film and where it's just aesthetically pleasing. I do the, and I'm about to let you know if I like the food. - Right. - And then there's some restaurants that, I don't been to, and I ain't found nothing on the restaurant that I like. So, I couldn't even post them. And then there's, I don't look. If you got 30 items on there, maybe I can find two or three items that I like that I can be good with showing. But, that is what helped me, like, is that, it's not hard for me because I don't do all that. I just eat the food, I do one tape. I don't go back and try to redo it. If a food drop, you're gonna, it's gonna be on film. And so, that made it easy for us to edit. Like, I got friends who edit, and they say, "Man, it take me six hours to edit." I say, "What?" (laughs) I say, "If I had to do something for six hours, it's not gonna be editing. I'm going to work." - Right. - I'm not doing that. - Right, right. - Yeah, so, I just used phones, man. I got, I bought a, thinking, I bought a $3,000 black camera, black magic pocket camera. That's what I'm all. Never used it. - Never used it 'cause somebody came by. My cousin, husband, he shoots a lot of videos. And he's like, "All right, you got to change the shutter, you got to change." I said, "Man, I'm not gonna remember that." - Right, on the phone. - So I can just press record. - Yeah, so he put it on a stable. He, he, like, put everything, and he say, "We'll just shoot at this all the time." Then I realized, when I shoot on that, I have to export it, I have to do this. Then it comes in a big file, and I say, "Okay, this is not for me." So I'm sitting on a $3,000 camera then. It's just sitting around, man. Sitting around. I just use them phones, man. You could get away with the phones. Just get whatever the newest Samsung or iPhone that's out, and the camera's gonna be good enough to go. That's awesome. - That's really absolutely. Absolutely. So you also, aside from doing the food blogging video style, you also do some writing too, man. Talked us about that a little bit. - Yeah, this just started this year. I was lucky enough to wear people like me. Like, it's just, my mom always said, "People like you. "I don't understand why." I guess 'cause she around me all day. So, my team, she gave me an opportunity that nobody's ever gave me. She reached out, say, "I might have something for you." She told me like three months early. And I thought, and I thought she meant like, we were gonna collaborate 'cause she's big on, she sells books and stuff of cooking. So I'm thinking, oh, we're gonna do a video. She's gonna cook something, I'm gonna eat it. Cool. Three months go by and she call me back and she like, "You think you could rewrite?" I say, "All right, all right." I'm like, I'll never turn it out to nothing. Now, I'm gonna try and let you tell me, "Oh, you ain't good at it." So it was with the AJC. And then, put together some articles, some of the restaurants I like. And I put together the article. Of course, you can't make everybody happy. So you got people putting it in their favorite restaurant saying that it should be this restaurant, but not for me, you know, this is my list. You could create a list. And I tell people that every day, you know, getting mad at me, but she gave me that opportunity and I wrote and people like it. You got some people that don't. But then I try to tell people this while I'm writing, which is very fun, this is fun. It's fun and then I thought it would be. And people, if you put down another business, to pick up another one, I'll never go eat there. I'll never, I will never go eat there. If it takes you telling me that a spot that I like, I shouldn't, or this spot is so much better, I'm not gonna go try it. I'm just gonna be like, that's not how I am. So I'm not gonna do that. And that's what I appreciate you. And why I started really just loving your content, be sharing and like now all my boys, my family, like they all love everything you do, because you are being honest in a positive way. And what I mean by that is this. When it comes to food, everybody's taste buds are different. - Yeah. - You might say something is horrible and I love it. Well now you're out there giving a perception just because our taste buds are different. And I love the fact that you were just like, hey, this is good, right? Like you ain't talking about, oh, when I tasted, I taste paprika and garlic powder. They're like, you're just like, nah, the food is good. - Yeah, it's just good. It's like I'm not, and people get so mad. You didn't say this, you didn't, but when I write, I have to say what the season is, right? Because when you're writing, now you have to make someone want to go and it's gonna take that. It's not just, you can't just say good. And that's something I had to learn. Because I'm just a teller of, men if the food was good, if I believe that it's worth the money. And that's another thing. So I'll tell you if I think it's worth like the amount. Like, and everything that I've been eating that I post, I feel like you're not wasting your money. And but you have people who are very picky eaters. I got a friend that always sends food back. Like I never like to go on to eat with him because I know he's gonna send something back. And I'm like, bro. You messing up for the whole table, right? You messing up for the whole table. I don't even want to order dessert when I go out to eat because I'm like, oh, they gonna get me on this dessert. And I always tell him, man, you order less. Like you order your food, let me get mine. Cause if I don't like something, I'm not finna tell you. I'm not sending it back for you to redo it. Don't want to risk it. So like, hey, cool. I'm gonna try you again another time. I give everybody two tries because I do feel like you can have a bad day. Because, yeah, you're not, you may have a different chef in that day. You may have a different waiter or waitress in it. And each one of these people play a major role in the food part. Like, it's not just the chef. It's not just if the food's good. Cause if my waiter or waitress disrespects me, I'm not gonna like your food. Well, I'm not, I'm not even, I'm out of the mood. My taste buds out of the mood. Right. They work with me. My taste buds is with me. They have never crossed me. So they know if we get some bad service, hey. We ain't liking the food we out. So yeah. - Yes, sir. - Yes, sir. All right, I'm gonna move us to what I call the hot takes. And I got this hot take right here. Cause I love you on so many levels. But I saw you do something the other day and I was like, I don't know if I could do that. - Okay, well, what is it? - What is it, the quick and eat? - The quick and eat. - So for all you that are watching listening, I'm gonna have a clip to this Instagram post right here. Like, and don't take it from me, Justin loved it. But it is there burgers that are already flame broiled. - Yep. - And you heat them in the microwave. - Right. - Wait, time out now, time out now. You can, they have directions on the doing in the oven or on the stove. - Okay. - The only reason I did it in the microwave was to show the part of if you're a parent that doesn't have time to cook and you wanna get something good to your child that you don't trust them enough to be around that oven or that stove while you're gone. They can microwave it even though I know a lot of people don't wanna microwave. But I just wanted to show that you can, if you needed to, if you wasn't there and they were hungry and they like, "Can I make some eggs?" And you like, "Do I wanna risk my house burning down?" - Nah, just take them burgers and that bad. It's only for ingredients in that. And that's the beef and the seasonings. So it's only for ingredients. It's not like you're getting something that got all this crazy stuff in it. - Nah, and I was messing around. - Okay. - But quick and easy. - People will, it was, so I was just like, "Oh, that's right, we just gonna throw in the microwave." But it looked as if you just got it out of Burger King or whatever when it came out the microwave and you gave some tips, right? Like, some minute and a half, but we're gonna do it from 115 and we're gonna throw the cheese on at the end. - Yeah, you gotta melt that cheese on there. - Absolutely, you don't want cold cheese on a burger. - But I'm gonna tell you something, that burger, 'cause actually good. I'm not saying that burger is better than, like an NFA burger or a, over here in Plants City Market, ancient enough. Nah, nah, we not saying that. I'm saying, it's good where your kid is not gonna say, "I'm not gonna eat this." They're gonna say, "Hey, I like this and they'll repeat it." And if you got that in there, you gotta quit meal for them that you don't have to prepare it, can give them the independent. The star and maybe you working them to get into the stove or the oven. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good choice. Quick and eats Costco, right? Costco, quick and eats. It's quick and it's some good eat. So it was, I know a lot of people were like, "Man, you put it in the microwave." I said, "You put it in the stove." I know everybody's trying to get, "Well, I don't microwave nothing." But I threw up with the microwave, so guess what? Hey, the microwave's still part of my life, I ain't gonna tell you no lie. Oh, it's still part of my life too, but like, red meat though, like I can't do some of that. I'm gonna let y'all in on a little secret. I can't do protein reheated, right? If it's the next day or what, like I just can't do it. So, okay, so, so then that means you never went to a steakhouse, had your favorite steak, eight half of it brought it home and just put it back on the stove. You don't do that? No. Oh, man. If you go to the right steakhouse, that steak is better than next day. Something about protein, especially red meat and grill chicken, tastes so different than next day, don't you? Man. Man, you gotta go to Frankie's steakhouse. Okay. We're gonna get a steak. You're gonna do it for one time for me. That's only one time. You're gonna, you're gonna leave half a steak and you're gonna warm it up and you're gonna eat your favorite way with a fried egg or a scrambled egg. And you're gonna try it and I promise you, Frankie's steak tastes sometimes. I just want to go get a steak and just bring it home and do it in the morning. But I gotta take you there, man. We're gonna go there and we're gonna do that, man. I promise you. Frankie's steakhouse. Yeah, we're sure there it is. So here's another hot steak, too, man. You said you love food or eat all the time. I don't eat a lot and you're in much better shape than me. All right, hey, not much better shape, man. I just look small. I just small. I'll just small. I'm gonna tell you something. I'm gonna tell you one thing I do because everybody asks how you stay small. My mom was 4, 11, 90 pounds. My dad was taller and skinny, skinny. So I just can't even buy eight all the time. I couldn't gain away. I'm out of shape. I just raced my wife's nephew and I saw I had all these head and then we're gonna say this. I had all some heavy, heavy crocs. Stop. He got beat. I got beat by his six-year-old nephew. No, not six-year-old. He's 26. He's, he's prime. So for those that don't know, Justin told me he used to run a 435-40 back of the day. And so if you go, I want you to go look at a lot of his clips because you'll see him like he, you know, especially holidays. He's out there running in the neighborhood, sprint, trying to compete. But just a couple of weeks ago, he took a L. I took a big L, capital L. Not lord case, it was capital. It was birth city because I'm going to be honest. I'm a 1983 cutlass with a small block. Like, you know, he was a, a 2000, something with fuel injection, all that. I didn't stretch. So I didn't. And his turbo keep being in my. Yeah. I didn't pet that gas. I wasn't ready. Yeah. And yeah, he blew the doors off. I ain't going to tell you no lie. When I, when I could see the back of his shoulder blades, I knew it was over with. And I was like, all right. But we're going, what we're going to run it back where I got on proper clothes because I felt like I had on some skinny jeans shorts. So it couldn't get my, couldn't get it all out. Then I had them heavy crocs on. But he won. He, if you watch this P, we're going to race again. And it's going to be soon. We was going to race on the beach. But he said he was heavier than me. And he said, you're like running on the sand on top of the sand. And he's like, if I run on the sand, I go in. So he ain't want to race me on the sand. You see the difference? He, he knew the setup. He was like, no, you could have easily said, no, you could have easily said, no, but you couldn't don't film. And you saw shoulder blades. Yeah, I saw shoulder blades, but it's all good. But I'm telling you, I'm going to beat him the next time we run because I am about to get in shape. How people like, man, you look like you in shape. It ain't going to be no more. I look like I'm in shape. I'm going to be in shape. When are we doing this? Man, I really want to beat him on Christmas. I really want to, I really want to beat him on Christmas. Okay, because we go over there. Every Christmas, we swap out gifts. I want to race him on Christmas. And that be a gift to myself and him. Oh, he's getting the gift too. Oh, yeah, I'm going to buy like a big old ill because I know I'm a wind. And I'm going to put it in a box. And I'm going to put it in full boxes. When he opened, he thought he'd get something good. It's going to be a big old ill. Peanut, man, like we're going to make sure I'm available Instagram live on Christmas morning. Yeah, because I'm going to have the W for you. I'm going to have it ready for you. I'm telling you. Man, I'm telling you I'm not going to lose again. Okay. Okay, I can't take the stress of that loss. My kids saw me lose. All right. So here's what we're going to do. If you win, if you beat peanut, peanut, I got my money on you just so you know, but if for whatever reason you pull your hamstring peanut, and he steps on your toes or something, the final. Yeah, I'm going to host it at my crib, Greenville, South Carolina. We're going to go get a track at Clemson University. And y'all are going to run the hundred. Now, if you win, no, we ain't running 100 CP night. We ain't running. I'm going to tell you that right now because I'm going to tell you the age I'm at now, I reach my top speed at 15 yards and 50 yards. And then because I'll tell you, I'm not even racing him of 40 because I'm going to tell you what I know. I top speed. I'm top speed quick. So what y'all run a 25 running 30. We running a 30. No, I can keep my, when I have my top speed, I can hold it to 30. I'm extra 10. He's going to be going to blow by me. I'm going to tell you 30. He ain't be me in the 30. Well, at least got go 35. No, I can't get on that much. I'm telling you, when he opened up, he opened up because he was like, oh, it felt good. He just did it. And I was hurting. I was sore. I didn't know when I tell you my legs. I felt it. It was so tight when I was done. I said, and he's talking about, I'm just getting ready. This feels good. We need to, we need to make it longer. I said in my head, I was like, all right. Well, I'm not doing that. I don't think I'll eat a burger. Peanut, I got something for you. I'm hiring you a coach, good friend of mine, multi-lumpian, signing riches, Ross will train you air and Ross will train you from the NFL. I'm gonna get him a trainer. He said 30 was it. I got to get him to blow past you at 15 then. If you're, if you hit it at 15, I got to help Peanut get there. I don't like the thought of that. I don't like it. You told me, you just told me you love me. When somebody tells me they love me and then they go, it gets me like, I don't know what the love real. Hey, money is money, bro. I put my money on peanut. I'm betting on money. I might bet some push ups because I ain't guaranteed nothing. I might bet some push ups. God, bad. So this next segment, I call the room. And I know that food blogging isn't all that you do, but it's the true passion of yours. Was there a room? Was there a moment? Was there a dinner that like changed your life that motivated you to do this? I think I just started enjoying different foods because of my sister. She probably don't even know this. So if she ever see this, she gonna be like, oh, I knew this all the time. But so we didn't grow up like where we just had money. We weren't going out to eat. My mom was cooking. And she had my mom learn how to cook. And she said, I ain't know how to cook. She just learned. So she would be able to feed us. And she got really good at it. And then she got older. She got bad at it. I don't know what happened. I thought, I moved out. She's just like, I ain't right. I ain't cooking. I did that for y'all. I'm like, what? But all right. So growing up, my sister, she ended up she was dating someone and they would go out to eat. And I'd be at home. Yeah. And the first time she brought home some wings one time. And this was when wings was just hot, lemon pepper. That was it. That's all you was eating. She came back with some teriyaki wings. It's the first time I taste buds went crazy. So then she might come home with something that she always she went never eat all her food. So she always come home with something. And she always put me on something new. So it was she gave me my first peach crush, the soda. And I always was drinking was Coca-Cola. And then peach crush. I'm like, what's this? Right? Then what else did she bring? She brought me a Canadian clear. I don't know if you ever had one of those. Yeah. So it's the first time ever. This is like when Canadian clear first was in Georgia wherever she brought one at home. But she said she's always bring food. I used to always love when she went out that day. I felt like I was going on a date. There you go. So I like, you make one on a date? Yeah, you know what you're bringing me from out. But she didn't go whenever she went out. She brought food back. And like, it was just always good. She had never bring nothing back. That wasn't good. Okay. And it kind of to me, it kind of feels like she was full blogging then without knowing it. Because she wouldn't bring me nothing back. That was nasty. So if it was nasty, I'm assuming she didn't tell me it was nasty. But she didn't put it on the plate when she brought it back. And I was eating seconds. So I was eating my sister leftovers. And I, man. And then that just, I guess that just grew my taste was my taste was just like, sometimes she'd go out. Mom will be cooking him like, man, you know, right. But yeah, that was that's what really probably kick started the whole that whole thing. My mom's cooking and her bringing home just different stuff. Yeah. And I also love the the fact that, again, you're much better. older than me where you'll try almost anything. But here's where you got me and I started doing it at home, vegan mac and cheese, bro. Like, you've done several of them now, but I remember the first one I saw when I was like, I don't want to like that, but that was amazing. And I trust Justin. So I went and made some vegan mac and jeans and I almost can't go back. - Man, listen, you gotta try Mr. Veganine. He was the first vegan chef that I, the second vegan chef, but that's the first vegan chef that I tried that a viral video came about it. Like the video did maybe like 10 million Instagram or something or something crazy on TikTok. It went crazy everywhere. And he was like, man, it changed his life. But the food changed my life to know that you can get mac and cheese without it being actual cheese. And I'm like, hey, the vegan chefs have come a long way 'cause it was like, vegan food, you just hear it, and he was like, I'm not trying that. But now it's like, if I want some, I'll try it. Like my kids like vegan food. Maybe they may later in life go vegan, who knows? My wife, she loves it. So, you know, but me, he always tell me like, man, anytime you want something, just call me because you did something for me, there's nobody else ever done. And I'm like, wow, and you don't think about it like that because I'm old school, so a video to me is just a video. Like a lot of people treat the videos like it's gold, which it can be gold 'cause you can make a lot of money. But I'm still nuts to it because, I guess I just grew up in the time when we had social media. So I'm not, I'm figuring it out a little bit now. Money can be made. I just got to figure out how to connect the dots and make it where. That's all I do. - No, you got it, you're on the path. And I'm like, when you're in Atlanta, two, you're just great at what you do. So I'm gonna talk to Coca-Cola right there. - Hey man, Coca-Cola. - Hey, it's not the Coca-Cola. Hey man, talk to them, talk to them, talk to them. Because another thing I see, I don't think it might be a little off topic, but I see brands, you hear things, you hear like, man, they paid 400,000 for three videos. I'm like, man, you get me 500, 400,000. You got me all year. I'm talking about three full videos. - Right. - So, man, like, come and get somebody who's gonna be loyal to you. Forget the three, the three videos for 400, man. You gonna get that every month. I can't nobody talk bad about you. You're my brother now, now I got to fight for you. - Right. - You're not talking bad about what? - No, y'all can talk bad about them. Like, yeah, you get somebody that's on your team. But it's, I mean, you know how life is, man, stuff happens when it's supposed to happen, man. - Nah. - So, when did you start? - No, no, you asked me. When did this start for you the whole time? - Oh, now, I'm getting interviewed. - Yeah, you get interviewed just a 10, just a 10. - So, it was March of 24, man, and here was what's crazy. I didn't want to start a podcast. I just wanted to do YouTube content. Like, at the end of the day, I wanted to do YouTube content on why you should focus on your because and not your why. And so, then I've got mentors. So, like, Les Brown, who lives here in Atlanta now, Damon John, Robert Irvine. - You say Les Brown? - Les Brown. - He might be one 'cause of my last name, Brown. Anytime I hear Brown, I don't like it. - There you go. - He might be a family, you might be. - But all of them were like, "Mick, you should do a podcast and we'll be guests." And I was like, "Okay, I can come out "the gate with some names." And then it just spawn into its own world, man. It's crazy because all of my episodes are about my guests. Like, I love hearing stories. I love hearing the things people are doing to inspire others and to make impact. And the world needs that. And so, that's what the show is about. So, started in '24 and just been rolling ever since. When I first started, I didn't know clips. I didn't put anything on Instagram. And now it's like three, four, five clips a day. I do some talking-head stuff and it's just going good. - When did you get your first video? It was like viral where, 'cause I'm gonna tell you mine. But when did you get your first viral video? They made you be like, "People like to watch." - So, the one that went viral the most was I was talking about the 10 year old me making a promise to my mom to change her life. And it was actually just a clip out of a 10 minute segment, but they took 45 seconds of it. And that is like, you know, over two million views now. - Wow. - I'm not, I'm not big time, like, just in what you get. - You have two million. - But two million, two million for me was like, "Oh, okay, I'm not big time like that either." And I don't know, 'cause it's the ground. Oh, they played with your views, so I, but mine came, we did this one where I had a pant. It was two different ones. I had a pancake stat like this. And my daughter, I was, you know, I was doing a neurologist from the men in black, and I was getting ready to eat it. And she was like, "What you doing with all the pancakes?" 'Cause they had 10 pancakes, a pound of bacon and a pound of potatoes. And she was like, "You not the rock you eatin' like that? You the pebble." And so when that happened, that went crazy. 'Cause I am small, and then you have, then after that, the next video was, I want to say it was Steamhouse Lounge, and then they had all these oysters right here in the lemon. And then that video went crazy, and I was like, oh, this is, this is, this is, this is all right. - Like this. - 'Cause we, I remember sittin' around and my kids was like, people still like in your video, 'cause they just lickin' and they're like, "Come in and crazy." And I'm like, "What you talkin' 'bout?" And then my phone was on ring, and I just keep hearin'. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. I had to turn it off, I was like, I look up in the morning, it's still goin', I say, "Oh, I ain't like the video." And that was crazy. And then, years later, it blew up, and I'm so mad, because me and my mom used to go out to eat so much. Like, she used to go out to eat so much. It's like some restaurants that I go to now, they remember my mom, and she passed away. And I mad that she didn't never get to go out to eat with me, and somebody say, "Hey, man, your bill's taking care of." 'Cause that would've been the wildest thing in the world to her, because she didn't like to take pictures. She wasn't on social media, that would've been wild for her. So, I hate that it happened after her, but my youngest daughter lives just like my mom. So, and she asks like, "So, it's kinda gives me that." All right, you're still here. You're still here. Yeah, I love that brother. I love that man. I'm gonna get you out of here on my unplugged fire. Rapid fire, five questions. All right, it's ready. Best cook in the household is the oldest daughter. Oh, okay. She's still in people's recipes. My wife might cook something, and it'd be super good. It'd be the best. She might can't recreate it, 'cause she don't know what she used in it. So, yeah, I dig that. I dig that. What's been one of the top three memorable bites you've ever had? Kingston Caribbean's beef pat, cocoa bread, beef patty, mac and cheese, oats, tail sandwich, that was amazing. Mr. Vien's soul food vegan plate. Mm-hmm. And it's gonna be weird, I'm gonna say this. The only reason I'm gonna say this is one of my biggest bites was because it was a side that I didn't think I was gonna like. And now every time I go there, I have to have it. Onion, but from Frankie's steakhouse. Okay. And they were so good. Like, I think it can be this good. Like, I don't like onions, but I never had an onion like that. And that changed my life as far as onions. Like, no, I just, like, people are probably like, man, I ain't, yeah, that onion's good. Okay. I dig that, I dig that. So people that aren't from Atlanta don't understand, Atlanta's a whole bunch of different communities and sections that make up Atlanta. You term me on to McDonald, man. Like, I know McDonald had a bit of food seem like that. Like, what do you think is one of the best food areas of Atlanta? Underrated, let me say that way. One of the most underrated ones. It's also different because you have an Asian scene like in the Louvre and all that. And I love that area. And then you have Caribbean food. Every, this is what I love about it. Georgia, it's stuff that's so good. So I don't think there's a particular scene. McDonald, and the only reason, 'cause I stay in McDonald's, so I had to find places that we could eat. Because years ago, I wouldn't even ride through McDonald's. It was a rural area, it was just like, it just wasn't somewhere we were riding through that night and trying to find food. But now, there's so many restaurants that's popping up out there. They have Pandora on the square, which is cool. It was a, you don't get fine dining like that anywhere else and on the south side. You get Enzo, that's in Fayetteville though. It's fine dining. Curiosity, fine dining. So we got, like, I feel like three really good fine dining spots on the south side. But I can't name one area, 'cause every, 'Cause what I do every weekend, we'll pick an area to go to for particular food. - Mm-hmm. - So it's so many different places that, so just go anywhere in Atlanta, you can't go anywhere. - Yeah, you can find something. - Yeah. - People come down here and say Atlanta's not, like the best of food, but in reality we are, 'cause we have like every type of food, and there's not like, it's somebody who's not from there making the food, like every one of these cultures got a really good restaurant somewhere in the city. And that's what I love about us is that, you're not stuck just eating one type of food. - Yeah. - But the thing is, you might have to travel for it. You might have to go here, you're gonna get in Atlanta, Travis. - I was gonna say, it might take you two and a half hours. - Yes, you're gonna get in Atlanta, Travis. I don't like that Atlanta traffic, and that's why my kids get mad with me, 'cause I'm up. I'm like, man, we're gonna beat this traffic, y'all wanna go eat? We're gonna go in this area. We can go to the mall in this area. We can go do something, but we need to get out here before that traffic, 'cause then me and my taste buds start being like, you know what? I just want something fast. - Like, I just tell you how my mind thinks, if I get caught in traffic, I don't wanna eat no more. I'm not, I get frustrated, and I'm out, 'cause I got frustrated in New York like that. They, I thought my navigation was messing up. They said, "One mile, 30 minutes." We was in a Uber, and I said, "No, that can't be right." - Oh yeah, he could've walked. - Eight minutes went by, we had moved the inch. I say, "Let's get out of this." And walk, I told ya. Go ahead, Tar, we want you to go travel. We getting out, we walking, and sure enough, we got down in that mile before that car got to where we were at. So I was like, "Okay." So I don't like traffic like that, but we're the same right there, we're the same right there. We might be the same right here. Who's your favorite NFL team? - I got love for two teams, and I do 'em evenly, but I was born in Jacksonville, so Jacksonville and Atlanta. - Now I said football. - Football. - Yeah, yeah. - Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Jacksonville. - Jacksonville, and Atlanta Falkers. - I said football. - The Falkers play football? - Oh, man, I don't play football. - They play football, I don't want to do this. And we almost threw this coat, man, he just threw me for a loop, man. - Man, listen. - I got Jacksonville, I used to live down there too. - Listen, Atlanta and we, hey, hey. - I'm a Patriot fan, so I appreciate you. I appreciate you got running the ball. - But guess what, guess what, that was the last time I ever bedded with my heart. And that was the last time I gathered with my heart. I told you before the show, I never do. My teams never see my money. - Yeah, I never, I have been bed on the Falkers since. - Yeah, smart, 'cause they don't play football. - They play football, man. - We got, we got, we got, you know, Felfo ball. - Hey, man, you gonna stop that? You gonna stop that? You gonna stop, hey, oh, hey, oh. I'll tell you how right now. Falkers, we gonna have a good season this year. - We gonna have a good season. - Six games is a great season. - No, no, no, no, no, no, no. - We gonna have a real good season, man. - Six wins. - We gonna be above 500. - So you got them winning nine games? - I got us winning nine games. - Hey, we're recording this live. Nine games is what he said. I will take the under of nine for the Falcons. - All right, okay, so look, so look, so look. We win nine games. You wear a Falcons jersey. We don't wear a Patriots jersey on your choice. - I got you covered. - Cool. - I got you covered. - Yeah. - That's what's up. Last question for you, Jay, as the story of Justin, the real food stalker Brown is being told, what's something you wanna make sure the world knows about you? - I just love my people, man, when I say my people, I just mean people who are positive, people who push for others, 'cause like, anybody who knows me knows, even if I'm losing, I'm still rooting for other people. I'm gonna always root for people. So it doesn't bother me when people make nasty comments. You can't bother me on the internet, 'cause I come from where you don't, when people say something bad about you, they used to have to just say it to you in your face, and that was, so saying it to me on the internet is nothing. That's why I kinda like talking to my kids. There's no way you should let somebody get under your skin, talking to you over the internet, 'cause there's nothing but words, really. And I just want people to know, I don't care about that, but I do hope that same energy, negative energy that y'all use on me, I hope that you do something positive and support somebody with that same energy. As long as you do that, I don't care about you being negative to me, as long as you're supporting someone, like you're showing someone that you want them to make it, but don't be just trolling everybody and not trying to push somebody. Push somebody to be great, 'cause you trolling me don't matter. Like, I don't care, I gotta be great. I gotta try my best to be great, whether I be coming great or I don't. I gotta try so I can at least look back and say, "Hey, at this point in my life, I really try to be great." So, I just want people to know, I don't care about that, and anybody who's pushing to do something, I'm with you on it, I'm with you, like, I see food bloggers pop up every day, and I like they content. I don't scroll by it and don't like it, I like it. I don't care, like I do a lot of collaboration with people, other food bloggers, because I want y'all to see too, like everybody know. More people that can, to see, maybe you're better than me. And if you should see, maybe you a bit company picks you up and realize that, like, okay, these food reviewers are needed. And, 'cause we are the new commercials. - Absolutely. - You don't gotta pay 34,000 for a commercial no more, and be on TV. People watch Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or more, every day. - For a watch TV. - Absolutely. - Like, so, you're getting a commercial out of people. I just want people to win. 'Cause the more people that win, the less hate it is, like, and that's just the way it goes. People who are winning don't have time to hate. Even when I'm losing, I'm not finna hate. 'Cause I want you to make it. I just want people to know, I love y'all. Like, honestly, like, I see people out, and when I see other good people, I love that. Like, I don't know what it is, but that's why all my friendships are tight. Like, 'cause they know I really care about the win and I don't care. If you're winning, my best friends are winning. I don't want nothing from you, I'm happy that you're winning. I'm happy that you're happy. And most people don't understand that aspect of it. That's why my friends are still, my friends, we're like, years and years, and they still joke on me. No matter how big I can be a bean, they're still gonna roast me about my height. Whatever it's gonna be, but they know I love them, so they gonna always do that. So just always know, it's always love, nothing, but love for me. - There it is. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been The Real Foods Talk. Justin, where can people find the following night? - Man, everything in The Real Foods talk on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, let's, they all subscribe to that YouTube. So I can start trying to make some money, so I can give back. It's hard for me to give back, y'all, without no money. Let me get the money, and matter of fact, this shirt right here, we're gonna have this shirt. This is gonna be for sale soon. And we're gonna figure out some stuff, man, and I'm telling y'all, I'm gonna give back, when I get to that point, to do the give back, I'm gonna give back in a different way. I'm gonna, a lot of people give back on camera. I'm gonna do that. Y'all not even gonna know, only people don't know I gave back is a people who got gave to, and it's just gonna, it's gonna be fun. I promise you, it's gonna be, it's gonna be fun. - That's what's up, everybody, make sure you're following. We'll have links to the show notes in the descriptions to everything The Real Foods talker, support my guy. He's an amazing follow, nothing but positivity. And you're gonna learn some things about food that you didn't know before. - Hey man, y'all follow him because he gave me the opportunity, make a plug, y'all got to follow him. 'Cause he's giving people the opportunity to tell a story. And a lot of people don't ever get to tell a story. And they don't, so people don't understand that person, and they don't understand why they dislike him, or they like him, you know, so you're doing something really good for the community and for socials. Like this gives people just that opportunity. - I appreciate you, I appreciate you. - So all the viewers and listeners, remember, you're because, is your superpower. Go and listen. (upbeat music)