From day one until now

AUG 24 2007 NEW

Today is the start of a new day. It’s about 10 a.m. in Florida and it has been a great week. If you follow the story of this week we always have new highs and lows. I like this blog stuff because it allows me to be real, to not just see the glitz and glamour but the times when you have to fight to get past the mess of the business.

This week we have been waiting for a few deals to close. A very big deal with a company out of Spain. We also met a very successful business owner that wants to do a deal with me and the show. The problem with that sometimes is that it sounds great but until the deal is done it’s a lot of waiting. We could use this deal to help take the show to another level without waiting on network. Creating the buzz is a big part of any success. If Food Network gives you a deal tomorrow to build such a high and big following that is a no- brainer for any network. We did close a deal with a big clothing company to wear their product and to be a paid spokesperson. We also spoke with Tyra Banks show about having us on very soon.

I have spoken with a lot of companies this week, morning shows that want us to come on and do some appearances. We are also working on a poor chef tour with a marketing whiz out of Chicago; we are very excited about that. It’s been a good week, me and my assistant Karen have been working hard this week to have a good ending week, my motto is to close strong on Fridays and work the weekend to start off big on Mondays.

My brain seems a bit dead this morning and I know I have to go back to my story of how we got to this amazing point in the business. There is so much to tell. I feel by letting people in on what we do it makes it more appealing to any reader or viewer that follows the stories of success, you hear about people all the time making this big break out but never know how they got there.

Sep 3 2007

This week has been a crazy week! It has been a lot of work but a lot of good work. We had the home show this week at the Tampa Convention Center. I was not able to partake in the whole thing but was able to show my face for a few and had a great time talking with all the people that loved our new all-purpose seasoning. I also came across tons of people that have seen my show and were very excited to meet me. I was more excited to meet them in the sense that it still amazes me that we are touching so many people with what started as only a dream. The only drawback was that I didn’t have more time to get ready or more products to sell but I will be ready next time. I know I have been slacking on my blog but I think that’s a good thing because we have been so busy. This week should be a great week. We are waiting to hear back from some key people about our show. We did take a bit of a setback with a company we started to do some work with on the east coast. Long story: we may go into that at another time because I feel that we sometimes make good and bad choices and a lot of times its best to go with your gut. If you’re gut or deep down feelings tell you it’s good or maybe not so good listen to it. But we have worked out of that situation and have some great things coming up these next few weeks.

I am also about to team up with a few people to do some more health and wellness type of things. Of course we want to focus on how to keep people healthy. It’s about 10 p.m. now and I wanted to get a bit in just to keep things fresh and let our friends know we have not forgot them. I should be in Cali by the end of the week and as well in NYC by next week for a few days. We hope to secure some speaking dates to go around the country and tell more people about The Poor Chef. We also got a great electric grill by first one for the event at the convention center that works great. I do like an electric grill makes things so much easier.

Well I think I will turn in for tonight but this week I will get back to the story of The Poor Chef and how we came to be, the ups the downs and the joys of getting started in this bizz. More details, the good stuff we all want to read.

Sep 14 2007

It has been a great week or so since I last did my blog. I am sorry for those who have been following the stories. We had a great show on Wednesday and I got a chance to preview my new business partner on NBC which she did a great job. Part of what I am trying to do with The Poor Chef is educate people on health and eating right and taking in the right things in the body to keep us healthy.

I have teamed up with a great doctor and Marilee to create “walk with wellness” it’s a movement of three great people to talk about and try to find the solutions to many of the issues we all face daily. So look for more in the nest few weeks as we are building the web site and the show. We just added the link to buy the products on the poor chef so I am very excited about that, we should have had that done about two months ago but we were waiting for the spice to be done, we have tees now and the spice and are ready to roll. I want to let a few people know about the great team we have with The Poor Chef and my other business plans, we just took on a great lady to do marketing in Chicago and her name is Patti, we also have Paige that has helped me from time to time but is now going to jump on board full time, and of course Karen who is amazing at what she does for the team. I just wanted to thank all of them and no team can work without these types of members.

We had a photo-shoot this week and that was fun by a great lady name Brooke, so if anyone is looking for pictures she’s the go-to lady for anyone local but I’m sure she will travel. Other than that we are doing the same hard work, we have some offers to go and do some shows in other cities and we will be doing that, one date is Sept 29th so that’s our first date. We have a lot of others coming up as I can’t wait to take a nice get away from work, even though its still work there’s just something i love about being on the road.

Well, I will write more later just wanted to keep many up on the great things going on, and of course the fight, because we work hard every day and night just to take one step in front of the other.

Tues Sept 18th

Today has been a good day. I just saw the finishing touches of our new seasoning spot and it looks great. I will be posting it up on the site in the next day or so. I have been crazy doing a lot of work with the walk with wellness. We are trying to get down who the team is, we almost have the team in place and things will be off and running. I am loving this new movement I have going, because it allows me to do what I’m doing on a bigger scale and touch people all across the world, a lot of people are into feeling better and staying healthy.

Some of the down side in this business is finding the right people on the team and it seems to get the right people on the team no matter how great the project is people want money, so you’re caught in the middle how do you get the funds and or the people?

I will tell some of my secrets to you in the cookbook, lol. But on a serious note it has been a fight but a good fight, some of the low points are dealing with people and a lot of the ups and downs that people have, because I also produce other shows as well as TV spots for people to bring funds in to keep everything running, you deal with a lot of the emotions that people go through, you have to keep to your vision and never stop the work until you reach your goal.

I have been hanging with my son the last few days and it has been fun. He’s into skate-boarding and is a very good kid. I did all of this for him and would never change anything I did with this move to Florida. We are working on getting the seasoning in stores as well as the road trip, I will be doing a event in Oct, I forget for how long and also a good possibility of me doing another film but we will see. It’s kind of late and I have to get ready for my segment in the morning, I am also up picking out stations for the TV spot to run in and have to go get some rest, I just wanted to let all know how things have been for the last few days, I want to give the lows and highs but the last few weeks have been good so not so many lows. Keep posted in a day or so. I will add more.

Sep 25 07

Its 10:31 a.m. and I’m coming online to keep up with the latest in the world of The Poor Chef, all is great I am to leave on Wednesday for Cali for a few days to meet with a big company and Universal, as well as take some other great meetings. I have been also doing a lot of work getting the walk with wellness team together as we are in the early stages. We have a great core of people, Burt and Merilee and myself have come together to we hope do some good things.

I also have been getting ready for the trip as I am excited to be going to Cali for a few days as a get away. I mean it’s business but it’s good business when you can take a trip and get something done at the same time, and hey let’s face it there are a lot of worse jobs, we have to be thankful for everything we have no matter how small. I think that’s a lot of what my mission is, showing thanks for everything we have, we could have been in another place in our life where things are not so well off for us, and our concerns are not what material things we have but taking the next breath.

So this week I fixed what was wrong with buying the spice on my site and also got some great news about us going with a major food chain, and the TV spot for The Poor Chef is also done. I have been trying to get daytime to do some new segments as we need to change things up, the whole thing behind the poor chef is out and about with the people, and I want to be able to do that, they say we will be doing this so I am waiting to get out and do more street in the homes type of segments.

If all goes to plan with Cali and a few other deals we are waiting on we will be on the road very soon and taping all across the country. Hmmmm… I’m trying to think of any drama, hmmmmm… well none I can recall right now. It’s still kind of early right now but I will come back on in a few to fill you guys in on more of how we got our start and the road blocks we had to overcome, the people that turned on me and all the juicy stuff, I kind of think i should hold back, but I think if you let people see what the fight is to get to the top they can learn from your mistakes or take what you did right and do it even better, so I will be back in a few.

Sep 30th 07

I am still in Cali and this trip has been amazing, the few days I have been here I have done more than 2 months in Tampa lol, sad to say but true. I met with the core and Universal NBC, as well as a ton of other amazing meeting.

I also hung out at the Four Seasons with Al b Sure, the famous R&B singer, that now host radio in Cali on one of the biggest stations. We are very excited about the next few days to come as I will be headed back to Cali. I’m hoping by the end of the week to finish off what I started a lot of meetings I could not take because of the short time I was here so I will come back and stay for a few weeks. I also left the materials with a major agency that reps some of the biggest shows on TV. They are very much into doing a deal and closing network.

This is very exciting to see the progress and how people take to the show and the concept; we are also waiting for dates to do some of the major morning talk shows on TV. I also have to get back to Florida to finish the meetings I have with the store chains about placing my spice in the stores; all very exciting news.

I just wanted to share that and will write some more when I get back and have more to tell, but letting you guys in on this time of the show to me allows people to see the behind the scenes as it happens.

Oct 31 07

What a few weeks it has been. Great news! Our seasoning has just come out in all U-Saves in the Florida market. Today I am taping a segment at Ian Beckels home, a poor chef segment. What else? The radio show is going amazing. We are growing each day and I have some major plans for the radio show. We have a bunch of press coming out in magazines, and are looking to get syndicated in the next month or so, then of course turn it into a TV show based in Orlando at Universal, hmmm… sounds like a great plan let’s see how well it all goes. But I am staying busy. I have to get back to Cali next week so I’m hoping to leave next Sunday for a few days. I’m also working on leaving for Dubai for the film festival. If I get my stuff together in time I will make it.

Other than that, just the normal life ups and down; had a shake up with the original Walk With Wellness team and we are back on track; had a marketing lady that we parted ways and things are running very smooth again. It’s hard finding the right people to work with sometimes, and I’m sure I can be a bit of a pain, but looking for some new people and have talked to some great PR and marketing people that want to come on board. When I get back to Cali we have some serious deals to work out so there will be much to figure out. I am working with a great guy in LA who used to work with will Smiths Company, and they are very excited. They are also helping with the syndication. We will have the other site up I’m hoping in a few days and it looks great. Locally I met with another network to talk about a few ideas, and they were very much into what I suggested, so we may have something going down in a week or so. Family is good my son and my mom are well. I have my cousin Cedilla Marley sending me some clothes from her clothing line, I’m excited about that, love her style and the shirts and jackets, I will follow up more, don’t forget to grab some spice at your local U-Save and also check out the radio show walk with wellness, on 1040 am 3:30 to 4 each sat

November 29th 07

Wow it seems to be a long time since i have added some words to this blog, well things have been great. We now have our ne spice in stores, I will be flying to meet with the Wal-Mart people in Dec to talk about getting the spice in their stores as well, we also have four other spices coming out very soon, we have some very good stories coming out in some nationwide mags in the next few days as well. Other than that the radio show has been going amazing as we embark on some cool topics, its all about wellness and sharing the word of staying fit mind and body. I have had some new people jump on the team a great older business fellow name Larry who’s doing a wonderful job for us. We are meeting with clear channel on Fri to see about going to that station, i am also doing a segment on the local fox station. Mom came down and hung out with me for a few days last week and I have been trying to spend time with the family and concentrate the efforts of my time and what I do during the day, I find myself running around all day and getting home late and very tired, its hard work doing a radio show and a TV segment. We still have a few major things we need right now to take us to another level. We have some strong deals on the table and it’s about the right one. Well I’m glad I came through to talk with you guys for a few, I am running back out to hit the gym and pay a few bills and then back to making these vision a clear reality. Check out some of the new videos we have added on the site and if you’re in Florida grab a few bottles of the spice.

Dec 6th 2007

It’s about 11 a.m. on Thursday, tomorrow I have to do FOX in the morning. I’m making some curry chicken. I also leave for Arkansas on Monday to meet with Wal-Mart and the Sam’s club people. What a thought my product being in those stores. Who would ever think such a dream could really happen. All you have to dream it and work hard and it can happen. I am very excited for the team. It’s been a fight some people go some people stay, but the ones as the Bible says endure to the end will win. I think a lot of people never see out their dreams because of fear, fear of what my not happen in the time frame they have given themselves to win or lose. It’s more like if I don’t win by this point I have lost so I will give up, that’s the wrong attitude to have, never give up and make yourself over time and time again to become the best. I will be gone for only a day and I’m hoping for the best.

I will keep you posted when i get back on what went down. My other site should be up very soon also, that’s www.walkwithwellness.com that’s all about staying well be it mind or body, were very excited about this site and the radio show we do each Saturday. If you get a chance take a look at the site and send us some feedback. Well, until I get back want to thank all for taking the time to share our joys and our downs as well because win or try it’s been a great journey.

Dec 19TH

It has been a great couple of days; I just got back from Arkansas and also Portland. I went to meet with Wal-Mart and Sam’s club about putting my spice or spice line I should say on the shelves. It was amazing and we have some great news coming from that. But just the fact that all this has been going on is almost a dream, who could have thought that when this idea came into thought it would have gone so far, but it’s been an amazing journey. I also got back from Portland where I did some work with the soda chef, he and his wife are some great people and we hope to build a long lasting relationship.

Other than that, been trying to take it easy. I’m not into holidays but since the time is upon us I want to relax a bit. I have been working very hard this year and want a break. Now all of this is not without drama, trust me anyone in my position has the drama that most of you never see. You may see Oprah on TV doing a great job, but behind that scene were all type of cat fights and people quitting or wanting more money or talking bad about each other, and it seems as small as I may be and growing we have the same issues, I guess it’s just the making on man. But one good thing is that you must look past the crap and keep going, and know that it comes with the job and that it happens on TV but also in the post office but happens in another way.

I also did a great segment on FOX and they were more than please to have me on every week, but didn’t want to pay the right money, that’s very hard to deal with as they see what your’re worth but don’t want to pay for it. I’m sharing this so that those who are getting into the bizz realize that it’s very hard and a fight until the end, but should never give up and find ways around things to still shine.

Well, I will follow up in a day or so. Please send me some more great feedback on the blog and the show.

Mon Feb 07 2008

Hope all have been ok. I just got over being sick. I also just got back from Vegas where I went to natpe and had a great time, though being lied to by a company that wanted me to sign some papers and promised me a ton of deals that seem not to take place, a good thing I didn’t sign anything, but still managed to have a great time. I am also getting over the flu that I had for a week, i have been working myself way to much and it’s catching up on me so i rested for a few days and I’m now feeling better.

I tell you it ha been some kind of journey. I also just got back from NYC doing Martha Stewart and had a great time. I will be in NYC on march 13 doing something with a tourism board, a lot to talk about but not enough time. I’m thinking I have some major choices ahead of me so I will be taking the next few days to think and regroup. The book is also almost done being edited. It seems like its taking forever but I guess this is what the process is. I am also working on two other shows, one called the cook and the coach and the other is the Latin version of the spoor chef. I tell you this bizz is something else! You need to truly find what works for you and get a good team. The team is everything if you don’t have a good team you end up doing all of the work and that’s not going to be good. You can’t be a manager and agent and lawyer and none of the things that need the attention will work. I am the best. Everybody loves me. I’m a star and I am also thinking I need to learn more so during my breaks I will be looking to go back to school. There are other things I like to do and want to find something fun. I’m thinking I’m a bit too old to be a lawyer so not sure what it will be. Through this process I have been able to see many things: who’s important and what’s important, who’s on the team and who’s just stopping by for a min, that’s the amazing part of getting involved in this bizz, and Tampa has been another story. I’m also thinking of moving very soon to be in a place I enjoy a bit better. See, being sick really tossed me up. But will keep you posted in a day or so but felt bad because I had not wrote much on the blog. lol Be good and be safe and don’t forget to know your true potentials.

MARCH 26TH

Hello all, it’s March 26th and it has been a long month! A lot of great things going on. We have two major deals on the table with some great production companies. Right now I also got a great lawyer to jump on board. We’re talking with a few agents. It’s still a very tough road as now you have other things to consider. You have to make sure you have the right agents and managers and lawyers and that the deal you do works for you. We also did a small deal with Benny and Co., a great watch brand out of New York that’s going to have me looking right when I’m out and about; we have had a few great offers to do some shows and some celeb judging stuff. It’s been good but it has also been tough. I am also working on the Poor Chef sandwich/coffee shop. I’m trying to put together the team and the plans to get that going so when the show takes off we will be in-line to have a hit shop that’s a cross between Starbucks meets Panera bread or subway with a slight Caribbean feel. I’m sorry I have not kept up with the blog I have been working hard and things seem to be piling up and being a one man show is hard, since my assistant is not with me anymore and has moved on to another field, it was a great help and a even better person. As some of you know, I took a break from the show I was doing weekly to focus on selling The Poor Chef to a network and I made the right choice! I had done a lot on the segment and it was getting stale I wanted to do more out and about things and was stuck just in the studio, so I felt I needed to focus on the big picture and I worked very fast and hard and its now paying off. I also just had a great photo shoot for my cookbook so the pics are in and we are in full production. Well, I have got to get back to work so feel free to send me a email and let me know how some of you are doing, and if you have a great story please send my way.

March 27th 2008

A GREAT MONDAY IT seems to be. We added a new person of the month section to the web site. All has been good the last few days. We are working on some deals as we speak and hope to be done by this week or next week. The book seems to be on its way. Don’t write a book if you’re in any rush because the time it takes is a long time lol. Well, I think I mentioned I have a great lawyer that’s helping me with the contracts and I also have some other great people jumping on the team. The real secret here is doing a behind the scenes with this show that has never been done. What it takes to get a show off the ground is unreal. Now networks are going towards studio shows that big companies make. When was the last time you saw someone take a show from scratch and make it work? It’s a serious fight but in only a short time we have done pretty good. I will get deeper as the days and the weeks go on and you will get a chance to see the real life story of making a show. I think doing this with very little money has been the hardest. People will praise you all day and tell you how amazing the project is and then there is the, but for a price of 5 thou a month, I can help you! lol There are so many scams and cons to look out for and I guess the bottom line is that it all boils down to the concept and a team. You can have the best project in the world but with no team you will only have a dream. Well, I need to get running I will be posting more later today I have to make some moves as today i am waiting on some good news.

April 10th

What a lovely day it is today. I’m up early trying to make moves. I was looking at something online this morning and saw P Diddy with a new show and it was the behind the scenes of his clothing line. I been wanting to do the same thing with my show. I need to start taping very soon so I can give people the raw and uncut footage of what this road is really like. I will be in Cali next week meeting with some companies and I’m hoping to close a deal. I’m in the works of some other poor chef products so that it hits the market as hard as it can. I don’t even have a show on network and have products out, so just think when we do hit, the TV deal we will be able to do a lot of bigger things. This is all apart of the bigger plan and the empire lol. I’m trying to leave a legacy like my uncle. I found out 2 days ago that my uncle’s grand mother died, Bob Marley’s mom. Very sad and I hope to pay my respects.

The major thing I deal with in this bizz I think I spoke about it before is the people that sell a lot of dreams and stories. Everyone’s a expert and everyone wants you to sign a contract and pay some sort of money. I guess its just a dream to find people that believe in what you do and help you make money instead of looking to take money that have not even proved that their worthy of paying money to. I get contracts of people that want half my show 20 percent of this and 50 percent of that but have not shown me they can do anything for me. I do meet a few good people and that’s what keeps it still somewhat fun the good people that truly love what you have and hang in there and make moves for you.

I’m shooting at some big meetings in Vegas and LA next week. There is a convention going on next week and I have a big meeting with a production company I like a lot. If all works well I will do a deal with them. They have some cool shows on TV and I feel they get what I’m looking to do. It’s a crap shoot you only hope you’re making the right moves or I will be looking back at this blog in a few months saying man I messed up! lol, It’s all a crap shoot at the end of the day, just staying alive and trying to be happy. So my goals this week are to seal some deal I have out there and get some more media coverage I got a call to do the daily buzz TV show so I think that may happen next week.

SAT APRIL 19TH

We are still in Cali. It has been an unreal trip. We have had some amazing meetings with a few major companies and they love the poor chef and are talking about some major things. It feels like a load lifted of my shoulders as we have worked so hard for over the past year to do everything the right way to get to this point. I wanted to home grow the show and make it so strong that it would be a walk in the park. I have hooked up with a great guy who is working with me name Chip. I like Chip a lot because he came on to help without asking for contracts or money. Chip came in the way I love to do bizz with a dream and passion. I have had too many people want me to sign deals and have not even met them and know nothing about them. I get about three contracts a week and it’s just crazy what people ask for. They want to take half of the show before we even have a show, and then I have to give up a big piece to possibly a production company and then to the network leaving me with nothing. But people like Chip make doing this bizz fun again and his lovely wife is also a joy. He’s going to be my bizz partner on this and a few other great projects we are also working on. I just feel that in this case finding the right person or people is so important, and finding someone that just believes and shows me his worth to what we have is the way bizz should be done, so chip thanks. I have also met some other great bizz people and hung out at some really cool spots. I also got a chance to see my son and spend time with him. To me, that’s what its all about. So a few times I didn’t go to the hot places and just spend time with him at the hotel, or getting some food, or buying clothes for his skater look I don’t get. I must be getting old cause tight jeans has never been my thing.

Well, I will be here for a bit longer in no rush to go back to Tampa, lol. It has been very trying in that small town. It may be time to leave here very soon. Not sure where I will be going but that place. It is very hard to live in and do what I need to do with the show.

Ok well I have to do a few more things and have tons more to tell so I will keep you posted later.

May 24th

It has been a long few weeks, one turn after the other, yesterday we did a great show on the daily buzz tv show, they asked if we would like to talk about doing some more segments, sounds cool we could use the spots right now as we are working on all the things we have going on such as the books and magazines, but its all still a fight, still trying to work out managers and agents and lawyers and the right moves. The game has changed alot since i was in it years ago, the great agents that made people stars are no longer around now, its all about these quick shows where the budget is 10 thou and thet have people like new york from the flavor of love with their own shows, so people are not as hard working or dedicated, so the battle is who to trust or who to go with. I did sign contracts this week and lets hope they get busy real soon and make the moves we need made.

July 10th

A lesson learned

I have not posted in a long time and i have to say sorry for that, it has been a very busy few months, the ups and downs of the business, one of my main reasons for this blog is to educate people on the bizz, its no joke and its changing for the worse everyday. I have met every clown in the circus and it never seems to stop, from managers to so called agents and dont let me tell you about the pr or marketing people. It is unreal, i feel reality tv and the internet has allowed the guy flipping burgers at Macdonald’s to be able to be a star, talent used to be what counted but things have changed.

I did a show on the 10th at the daily buzz tv show in orlando, the last time i will ever do that show. There is a producer there name jack that suffers from short man complex and is the nastiest little dude you want to deal with, i drove almost two hours getting the wrong directions from a dude i should have known better to let give me directions and got their late for the first segment, they of course have the worse attitudes and dont say thanks or good job or even give ya tape or dvd of the show you did. I can go on for days but dont want to sound bitter, but people should know the good and the bad about this business or they will take this for just being all about the stuff they see on the net or tv and dont know the pain that it takes to get from point a to b.

I am now waiting for my production company to start pitching and that has been a process and still looking for a great agent and manager, im trying to get it all set up now so that when all things are go it will be a easy deal. I also reached out to emeril to see about him writing the forward for my cookbook, well i just wanted to say hello and that i will jump back into writing more in the blog, im not sure im even doing this right but i will stay more on top of this, for the drama of making a show check mor of whats coming next, it gets deeper i have left alot out cause i want to paint a happy picture, lol its all good.

Aug 20th 2008

Its been a min since i last got in here and wrote about something, i have been hard at work, with the new magazine coming and the tv show on the horizon and getting ready to do some trips, it has been alot of work. Things have been great, the magazine is amazing, i have Maggie thats doing the design work for me, i have paul helping out with things on the radio show and magazine end and Breanne doing some cold calls for sales. I still have the same up and down, still need to find a good person i truth to rep the projects but im being patient, dont want to rush things i have met too many clowns.

I have met some great people that are helping me now, jim and his lovely wife louisa and they have some lovely kids, one big happy family. We are just putting the magazine together and thats taking up alot of time, i have slowed down a bit the last two weeks so i am picking it back up but im sure i have lost a step or two. I am also getting ready for the radio show but it seems to be a hitch at times with that. I cant do all the work and alot of times it seems that is what is going on with me and my projects, well not alot to talk about but i did want to say hello to let all know things are going great and we are looking lovely.