From College TV Show to Global Cooking Classes + Why Chef Egg Still Wants to Be a Rock Star - EP 33

From College TV Show to Global Cooking Classes + Why Chef Egg Still Wants to Be a Rock Star - EP 33 In Episode 33 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Eric Berlin, better known as Chef Egg, to talk about the unconventional career he built by teaching people how to cook. What starts as a conversation about culinary school and restaurant life quickly turns into a much bigger story about performance, education, and connection. Eric breaks down how he carved out a lane far outside the traditional kitchen: teaching hands-on cooking classes at colleges, working with health departments and veterans groups, appearing on Baltimore and DC television, traveling internationally with the military, and helping people overcome the fear that keeps them from cooking for themselves in the first place. We also get into the origin of the name “Chef Egg,” his early public-access cooking show, how relationships and follow-through created major opportunities in Baltimore, and why he still sees himself as a musician at heart. The conversation also touches on virtual cooking classes, Chef Egg soap, trying to turn creativity into income, and the 25-year journey of writing his first novel. This is an episode about making things, staying open to unexpected opportunities, and chasing the kind of work that makes you feel most alive. In this episode, we talk about: Reconnecting after college What Chef Egg actually does Why restaurant life wasn’t the right fit Cooking classes at colleges, schools, and community events Teaching knife skills, sautéing, and kitchen confidence Why people are scared to cook Food habits, health, and convenience culture Making healthier food without making it miserable The origin of the name “Chef Egg” The first Cooking with Egg show Public-access TV and building creative projects with no money Live TV cooking segments in Baltimore and DC Farmers markets, festivals, and word-of-mouth growth Music, performance, and the overlap between cooking and entertaining Traveling gigs with the military in Egypt, Germany, and beyond Hands-on classes and virtual cooking instruction Why passive-income ideas never fully clicked Chef Egg soap and unusual branding that actually worked Tallow, bone broth, and whole-animal cooking Time, priorities, and the real reason people say they don’t cook Creativity, discipline, and accepting you can’t force people to change Parenting, work ethic, and teaching kids responsibility Curiosity, opportunity, and learning from other people’s work Writing a novel 25 years in the making Current music projects and still wanting to be a rock star Performance mindset, preparation, and not fearing mistakes Connect with Chef Egg: Website: https://chefegg.com/ Book Chef Egg: https://chefegg.com/booking/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefegg/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefEgg/ Support The Shift with Mike & Joe: Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com Donate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1 Email: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065 Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media: https://www.imagesoundmedia.com