PODCAST · business
I am Consciously Curious
by Victor Chan
I am Consciously Curious is a Chicago based podcast that dissects passionate individuals in various industries. The goal is to share their stories to inspire you to cultivate meaning within your own space. If you are interested in coming on or know someone that would be great for the podcast, please message us on fb/ig: @iamconsciouslycurious
Episodes
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187: To Be Seen And Heard Is To Be Loved ft. Jesus “Chuy” Reyes
"Chuy" Reyes of CR Films joins us to share some of the insights he’s gained while getting to know some of the many street vendors in Chicago. I came upon his work at the height of the ICE raids and around Mexican Independence Day. I noticed the thoughtfulness and attention to detail he has with…
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186. Affordability Through Growth: Joe Holberg on Running for Chicago Mayor as an Outsider
What does it actually take to make Chicago more affordable, safer, and functional? Joe Holberg — political outsider, former teacher, Google alum, and tech entrepreneur — is running for mayor with a platform built around housing supply, fiscal discipline, and a friendlier environment for…
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185: Chicago BBQ Roundtable ft. Charles Wong, Shawn Smith, Sam and Stephen Lee
In this episode, I pass the mic to Charles Wong of Umamicue and Episode 182. He hosts Shawn Smith of Heffer BBQ along with brothers Sam and Stephen Lee of K-TEX BBQ. They share their individual journeys into BBQ and where they’re currently at. They share notes on what has and hasn’t worked,...
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184. An Alley, A Cause, and Really Good Pizza ft. John Carruthers
John Carruthers didn't set out to raise $100,000 for Chicago nonprofits. He just wanted to do something that felt useful when the world stopped making sense. When the pandemic hit, John — a writer and lifelong pizza obsessive — felt the helplessness that most of us did. What started as a weekly...
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183. Yuta Katsuyama: Folding Culture Into Every Rice Ball
Yuta Katsuyama moved to Chicago to study design and business — and quickly noticed something missing: onigiri. What started as a personal craving became a brand now stocked on over 60 shelves across Chicagoland. Yuta talks about bridging Japanese food culture and American entrepreneurship, and…
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182. Charles Wong on BBQ, Culture & What Comes Next
One meal at Franklin Barbecue lit a fire in Charles Wong that spreadsheets never could. Since then, he's been quietly building something special — Texas-style BBQ layered with Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, served up through pop-ups and residencies that turned first-time customers into loyal...
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181. You Don't Need a Crisis to Ask for Help — Holley Brandchaft-White, SHFT Behavioral Health
What if the most powerful thing you could say to someone wasn't advice — it was I believe you? We sat down with Holley Brandchaft-White, licensed clinical social worker, former Lurie Children's Hospital ED clinician, and co-founder of SHFT Behavioral Health — Chicago's first mental health urgent...
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180. A Love Letter To Pizza in Chicago ft. Tony Scardino [Professor Pizza]
Tony is back for round three! He was on the show five years ago when he was just establishing the professor pizza brand and three years ago when he partnered with the Atomic Hospitality group to provide his pizza on a rooftop in west loop. Since then, he's been approaching two years with the…
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179. Immigration Law ft. Anastasiia Bilousko, ESQ and Mia Isberto
Our next guests are the dynamic duo behind AB Law. Despite being located on the north side of the city, they are helping individuals experiencing a variety of hardship obtain legal status across the country. Their friendship was formed while working together at a restaurant and blossomed into a...
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178. Da Local Boy ft. Nate and Dianne
Our next guests are riding the wave of aloha washing over the chicagoland area. They are the yin to each other’s yang. We reflect on the various iterations these lunch plates have taken from pop up tents and food trucks to their first brick and mortar in Highwood, IL. Today, they’re opening their...
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177. Burgers and Falafel ft. Danny Sweis
Our next guest is the owner of Ragadan and A Pizza Pie in Uptown. He reflects on his family’s journey to Oklahoma City from Amman, Jordan. It’s not too often you find a joint that serves great burgers and falafel. Despite the fast casual nature of his restaurants, he’d like to find a way to bring...
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176. The Heavy Rotation ft. Grant Frahm and Kalium Ewing
Our next guests are two college friends that host album listening parties around the city. What started as a way to stay in touch with their group of friends has expanded into a third space for like-minded individuals. Whether it’s your hundredth or first time listening to an album, all are...
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175. Sam Zeitlin of Zeitlin’s Delicatessen
Our next guest has worked in cafes and 1 star restaurants throughout the country. Through helping others start their own projects, the path towards establishing a jewish deli in Chicago became visible. Tune in to hear Sam reflect on his journey of baking bagels during the pandemic, creating a...
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174. Building Honey Butter Fried Chicken: Radical Transparency in Restaurants
Our next guest is Christine Cikowski, Co-Founder and Chef of Honey Butter Fried Chicken. She's also a part of Sunday Dinner Club, TriBecca's Sandwich Shop, and Honey Butter Beach Club inside SPF Pickleball. We reflect on how HBFC was conceived, the many iterations it's gone through, and how…
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173. From Steppenwolf-Trained Acting To Hosting Plant Workshops ft. Austin Hunt
Our next guest is the Founder of a plant workshop here in Chicago. He goes by @uncommonplantguy. Despite the simple idea for a date night, there is so much more to experience through the lens of creating and caring for a kokedama plant. We reflect on his 13 year journey through stage theater, the...
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172. Brennan's Gourmet Burger Shack ft. Alyssa and Conor Brennan
Our next guests are preparing to open a highly anticipated burger restaurant in Park Ridge in partnership with The Emerald Isle in Edison Park. They met at the highly coveted Bavettes in Chicago and went through many iterations of what life could look like during and after the pandemic. They both...
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171. Uncut with Novel Pizza Cafe ft. Ryan Catolico and Enrique "Gremski" Huizar
Our next guests are Ryan Catolico and Enrique Huizar of Novel Pizza. I’ve been following their journey since the very beginning. I believe this was the second entry into the Almedaverse. Ryan reflects on how he and Francis tried to replicate some of their favorite pizzas and eventually called for...
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170. Carmilla Kupritz Returns
Carmilla K is back on the pod. She recently completed a half marathon in Iceland, another Hyrox event, and moved over to Studio Three from Corepower. We yap about themes of discipline, being present, and reframing why we do what we do. She’s entered her fifth decade of life and she continues to…
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169. No BS Wine Education with Slik Wines' Founder ft. Marie Cheslik
Our next guest provides a down to earth approach to wine education and she’s coming out with a book on how to read a wine label. She has channeled her love of hospitality as a nurse and a sommelier at a 1 Star Michelin restaurant. We reflect on her non linear journey through healthcare and...
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168. Melding Various Interests As A Multidisciplinary Artist ft. Alyssa Low
Our next guest is a designer and multidisciplinary artist. She’s worked with brands like Good Things Vending [Shoutout Steph Krim], The Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, and Fire, The Chicago Marathon, and most recently Babe’s Sports Bar. We reflect on how she has found herself at the intersection of...
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167. ER Vet Nurse Cooks Vegan Food For Gordon Ramsay ft. Courtney Fraley
Our next guest is passionate on all things animals. She is an ER Vet Nurse as well as the author for her blog, Faraway Kitchen, where she shares vegan recipes from around the world. She was recently a contestant on Season 15 of MasterChef. We dive into her adventurous beginnings where she leaves…
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166. Holey Dough & Co. ft. Jake Rubin
Our next guest is riding the high of Eeeeeatscon this last weekend. He’s been consistently selling out of his weekly preorders despite increasing available quantities. The bagels have a nice “knock knock” crust to them and upon ripping them apart, were dense enough to dip through schmear but not...
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165. Coming Out in More Ways Than One ft. Alvis Huynh
Our next guest is the Chef and Founder of Về lại which is currently a Vietnamese and Lao pop-up filled with themes of nostalgia and homestyle cooking. Coming from hard-working blue collar immigrants, Alvis had a strong work ethic, and despite falling in love with food and cooking at an early age,...
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164. Exploring the Filipino Renaissance ft. Joe Fontelera
Our next guest is the co-owner and Chef behind Boonie’s. Joe reflects on his Filipino-American upbringing, finding the culinary path, and eventually leaning into the Filipino culinary world. We chat about working on yourself, following your intuition, and making time to just live. If you haven’t...
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163. Tilly Bagel Shop ft. Hannah Tillett-Banaszak
Our next guest is one half of Tilly Bagel Shop in the South Loop and now in the West Loop. Hannah comes on to share how the bagel shop came to be. From a love of blueberry bagels her dad would bring on Sundays to staying busy during the pandemic by sharing bagels with friends and family. What...
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162. Maintaining the Lost Art of Hand Painted Signs ft. Ches Perry [Right Way Signs]
Our next guest has been hand painting signs since 1970. I can’t help but think about him every time I drive west on the Kennedy expressway and peer over to the roof of the Salt Shed. He did that! Join us as we reflect on how he took a leap of faith on art school and immigrated to Chicago from...
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161. Full Circle Moments with Andrew Lim of Perilla Fare and Steakhouse
Our next guest is the Executive Chef and Partner of Perilla Fare and Steakhouse. Andy opens up about not being Korean enough or American enough and how he ultimately found his voice as a person and as a Chef. He was initially tapped as a consultant for the space that is now known as Perilla Fare....
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160. Playing The Long Game Beyond Chef Life ft. Brian Jupiter
Our next guest is the Executive Chef and Owner of Frontier, Ina Mae Tavern and Packaged Goods, as well as Migos Fine Foods. He has successfully embedded southern comfort food into Chicago. We reflect on his journey from New Orleans to Miami and eventually landing in Chicago. We discuss the…
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159. More Than Michelin Stars ft. Simon Davies
Our next guest traded eleven years at three Michelin-starred Alinea for something money can't buy: balance, agency, and intimacy. Simon Davies discovered this new path immediately after leaving Chicago's temple of molecular gastronomy as Executive Chef in January 2020, when he traveled to Jaipur,...
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158. Balanced Hospitality ft. Stevan Miller
Our next guest is the Beverage Director at Esmé. He’s inquisitive, playful, and balanced. We reflect on his journey through hospitality from the earlier days at Burger King and Starbucks to earning his stripes at the now closed Claudia and eventually Esmé. In addition to directing the wine,...
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157. Increasing Access to High Quality Oysters ft. Motorshucker
Our next guests are the partners of Motorshucker. A mobile oyster bar that currently pops up at places like Queen Mary Tavern, Easy Does It, and Bisous. You’ve seen photos and maybe even tried some of their seafood towers, crab rolls, or motormix fried peanuts. We reflect on their individual...
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156. Modern Korean Supper Club, Haru Haru ft. Junho Lee
Our next guest is intuitive and ambitious. He hosts a modern Korean supper club experience called Haru Haru which means “day by day." The intimate nature of pop ups and private dinners allow him to hold space and tell stories that complement his food. We reflect on the support he’s received from...
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155. Effortlessly Intentional Menswear ft. Jabari Sandifer
Our next guest is introspective and level-headed. He’s had an interest in men’s fashion and styling from an early age. He was on a successful path in collegiate basketball, but an ACL tear led him to reevaluate other interests. These days, he creates content to share his style and the lessons…
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154. Living Your Truth and Radical Traceability ft. Annie Xiang [Volition Tea]
Our next guest is tenacious and thoughtful. She’s a mother of two boys and the Founder/Owner of Volition Tea. A specialty tea company that highlights single origin organic teas primarily from China. She’s double downed on the importance of traceability so the consumer can appreciate exactly where...
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153. From Flunking 6th Grade to Cultivating a Thriving Coffee Community ft. Raoul Adwan [Thrd. Coffee Co.]
Our next guest is gentle, thoughtful, and courageous. He’s the owner of Thrd. Coffee Co. which is a coffee concierge service as well as a cafe in Bucktown. Despite a rough upbringing with school and family, he had a wake up call in his second attempt at 6th grade and eventually a coming of age in...
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152. Unifying Indian Culture With Beer ft. Bhavik Modi of Azadi Brewing
Our next guest is insatiably curious, hyper-focused, and charismatic. I got the sense that he’s always all in on the task at hand. That being said, he’s balancing a family, a full-time job as Chief Innovation Officer/Senior Partner at Cultivate, and slowly growing a Chicago-based brewery with...
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151. Finding Peace Through Acceptance with Visual Artist Katie Chung
Our next guest is Katie Chung. A visual artist based in Chicago. I was introduced to her work through her mural for Good Things Vending with Steph Krim! I then found out she's created pieces for Facebook, Google, Adobe, 360 Chicago at the Hancock, and even a traditional Hanbok from handwritten...
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150. The Mischievous Child ft. Chef Mitchell Acuña
Our next guest is the Executive Chef of the new modern french restaurant Gavroche. He fell in love with cooking at an early age mainly from a functional aspect. He's an alum of Kendall College and has gained experience in kitchens like Alinea, Roister, Boka, Sixteen, and North Pond. He really…
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149. Resilience Through Grief ft. Bernie Ambubuyog
Our next guest is Bernie Ambubuyog. A single mom, entrepreneur, and a MMA practitioner and color commentator. We reflect on her journey into MMA which was through her late husband Paul. She shares how the MMA community has become her second family especially through the later stages of Paul's...
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[Takeover] Healing Ancestral Trauma with Jenn Dieas ft. Dr. Jon Mackoff
Jenn Dieas hosts Dr. Jon Mackoff in this podcast takeover. This is the third overall time these two have met and they're both great at holding space for self-inquiry. Some themes that they covered include the lack of safety Jenn experienced as a child, misplaced karma from parents, and embracing...
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148. Recruiting for Tech Giants like Uber and Netflix ft. Jeff Vadukumcherry
Our next guest is Jeff Vadukumcherry. Despite falling into tech recruiting, he's developed a mastery and fondness of facilitating "good fits." He reflects on how he and his now wife encouraged he each other to follow their dreams even if it meant traveling across the country (twice). He now finds...
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147. New Math Coffee ft. Mikey Rinaldo
Our next guest is Mikey Rinaldo (they/them) and they're the roaster/founder of New Math Coffee highlighting specialty Asian coffees. Mikey found coffee as an escape while pursuing their PhD in literature. There's this beauty in the ephemeral nature of a good cup of coffee. Many things has to come...
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146. The Filipino-Cuban One-Two Punch ft. Lawrence Letrero
Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Bayan Ko and Bayan Ko Diner in Ravenswood, Chicago. The diner space was home to Glenn’s Diner for 17 years and now serves Cuban and Filipino staples all day. The OG location a couple doors east is now a tasting menu that allows the team to push…
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145. The Power of Asking: Chef Zubair Mohajir’s Recipe for Success
Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Lilac Tiger, Coach House, and Mirra. He reflects on his journey of stumbling into the world of finance only to be liberated by the 2008 Market Crash which sparked his curiosity into the world of food and hospitality. What was the early stages of a social...
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144. Tea Practitioner and Ceramic Artist ft. Danielle Chutinthranond
Our next guest is the artist behind Monsoon Pottery. Quality time with her family has her reflecting on life and what she wants to get out of it. I appreciate how singular she is with everything she takes on. From her daily tea practice, insatiable appetite for art history, and her pottery...
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143. Moderating the r/chicagofood subreddit ft. Mitch Gropman
Our next guest is one of the moderators of the r/chicagofood subreddit. He shares why and how he started to moderate it. He’s made lists to organize his favorite chicken sandwiches, fries, and omakase restaurants. He’s currently organizing his favorite bib gourmand restaurants. Reddit was taken...
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142. Community-driven Joy and Serendipity in Vending Machines ft. Steph Krim [Good Things Vending]
Our next guest is the Founder and Keeper of Good Things Vending. She places local art and oddities in vending machines and places them in some of the most iconic places in the city. You can find some of her machines in places like The Chicago Cultural Center, Kimball Arts Center, and The Garfield...
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141. Reclaiming Agency as a Hospitality Vet ft. David Mor
Our next guest is a hospitality veteran and has helped open spaces like Truce, Lilac Tiger, Coach House, and Mirra. I was first introduced to David through Justin of Kyoto Black Coffee when they put on a coffee cocktail pop up at Cindy’s Rooftop. I knew David was working on opening a bar, but it...
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140. How Desert Trees Are Becoming The Next Chocolate ft. Mez Foods
Our next guests are brothers and founders of an alternative chocolate brand, Mez Foods. But the implications of how revolutionary mesquite is makes this a very exciting time for these two. Their challenge is to introduce a product that is more sustainable (environmentally and production-wise),...
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139. Private Dining Experiences ft. Chef Francis Pascal
Our next guest is the Owner and Executive Chef of Vendador, a private dining company that imports an entire fine dining ecosystem into clients' homes. He shares how hungry he was to collect culinary experiences at a young age that eventually landed him at Roister (part of the Alinea Group). He...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
I am Consciously Curious is a Chicago based podcast that dissects passionate individuals in various industries. The goal is to share their stories to inspire you to cultivate meaning within your own space. If you are interested in coming on or know someone that would be great for the podcast, please message us on fb/ig: @iamconsciouslycurious
HOSTED BY
Victor Chan
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does I am Consciously Curious have?
I am Consciously Curious currently has 187 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is I am Consciously Curious about?
I am Consciously Curious is a Chicago based podcast that dissects passionate individuals in various industries. The goal is to share their stories to inspire you to cultivate meaning within your own space. If you are interested in coming on or know someone that would be great for the podcast,...
How often does I am Consciously Curious release new episodes?
I am Consciously Curious publishes regularly with 187 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to I am Consciously Curious?
You can listen to I am Consciously Curious on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts I am Consciously Curious?
I am Consciously Curious is created and hosted by Victor Chan.
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