Episode Transcript
[00:00:11] Speaker A: Welcome to another episode of Cook and Conquer. I'm your host, Annelie Descarra Vineyards. And today I have the honor and privilege of having an amazing lady. Her name is Recall Richie.
And thank you for being here with us today.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:00:32] Speaker A: Yes, it is definitely a blessing and a privilege to have someone share a little bit about their passion about business as an entrepreneur and how you were able to fulfill this role and have your own business.
So we would love to hear about that.
[00:00:52] Speaker B: Okay, so I'm a dj and my career started as a child, actually.
I had very strict parents, very. Couldn't go outside to play, couldn't go skating, couldn't go to the movies. I was actually like kind of bound to the house.
With that.
I found my love for music.
It started and it never stopped.
We would have like get togethers, gatherings at our house, and I didn't really want to play with the kids.
It's kind of crazy, right? Like, I thought you wanted to play with the kids. I wanted to be with the grownups because they were always laughing and I love to laugh. So it's like, what's so funny?
So to stay downstairs with the grownups, I would be responsible for the music and so I would DJ the music for the gathering as my way to kind of be downstairs.
But it was the reaction to the songs that I chose and I loved it. I just fell in love with it. And so I always sang in the choir.
My major in high school was vocal music. And then I went to college for radio broadcast journalism. So music has never left me. It's always been in my veins.
And I always saw males DJing outside of salt and pepper. DJ Spinderella, she was probably one of the only females I ever saw dj.
But I knew that I could do it. I was just afraid, of course. But I went for it. I went for it and I.
All that love and excitement just came back to me all over again. So I am a very, what they call a open format dj. So I get booked for Bollywood, Indian parties, of course, Latin. Oh, by the way, I speak Spanish. I've been speaking Spanish since I was five. So my love for Latin music as well, I've done Lebanese, of course, R b, hip hop, etc. So my catalog of playing music is large.
And every time I just, when I see their reactions like, oh, that's my stone, I'm like, yes.
So I turned it into a business because why not, you know? And yeah, it's been, it's been amazing ever since.
So I do have, of course, in any business you have ups and downs. In business you have good days, you have bad days.
Not even bad days, I can't say that. But you have challenges. That's the word I'll use. You have challenges.
I think the biggest challenge for me as a dj, let me think about that because I really don't have a lot, but I don't mean to be so big headed about it.
My challenges, let me think. My challenges of DJing probably have been in business. What I've learned. Everyone isn't for everyone.
You have to find, it's like a magnet, you know, so it's like the right clients with the right dj. So it's like finding those perfect clients for the perfect DJ for the perfect moment has been like my biggest, biggest influence, biggest challenge, I guess you would say, is finding the right people.
Because I have had some DJ events, you know, it's like, I don't know about that one, you know, not really, but it was more of a personality versus, you know, the, the event itself. So dealing with one on one, having that chemistry is just as important as pleasing the whole entire crowd.
[00:04:25] Speaker A: Yes, yes, definitely. What would you tell someone that is actually wanting to have their own business, that they're thinking about it. Maybe they've had bad experiences which, you know, that, that happens. And I call that, as you said, challenges.
A hard, a rough day. But that will pass. It's not going to stay forever. So we try to focus on the positivity that eventually, you know, you could escalate your business on where you want to see yourself. What would you tell someone that is actually feeling challenged right now and balancing, you know, business, their life, even the kitchen world, which we're going to be talking about. More about that, what would you tell them?
[00:05:07] Speaker B: I would say find your passion, whether that's pleasing other people or the crowd, whether that's the love you have for music in itself or even the money. Because to be Honest with you, DJing is good money.
So find your passion, just find whatever that thing is and, and lead with that. Everything else will flow.
[00:05:30] Speaker A: Yes, most definitely. It's about finding where your heart is and when you find that. Like I ended up finding out at a very young age that my heart, part of the many things that I love to do was cooking and baking. But that has a story to it as well. It has to do with my mother being there and teaching me that at a very young age. Sitting me on a stool and making tortillas, flowers, flour tortillas, from Scratch and sitting there and playing with the dough, you know, and, and extending those tortillas and the smell of the kitchen. So I know that there's a lot of connection even with music, dj, as a dj, as a business owner with the kitchen.
For me, everything has to fall in harmony and love and kindness. How do you see that connection between a person that like you, a business owner, and the connection with the kitchen?
[00:06:26] Speaker B: That's quite interesting because I don't like to cook.
I love to eat.
I love to eat, but it's. There's so many as you say that as I'm thinking about it, you have to prepare.
So even as a dj, have to prepare the setup, you know, enjoying the music, enjoy the food. You know, I think what takes me away from cooking is the cleanup, which is also not my favorite part of when it's time to go, I have to put up all my equipment, trail it back.
[00:06:59] Speaker A: It's like.
[00:07:01] Speaker B: But the middle part is the love. Just like food, when people are eating it, I know you just get smile when they. I saw your face light up when I told you your fruit salad. I had some for dinner last night and this morning for breakfast. Your eyes lit up like, oh really? Really?
That's the face expression I have when people are enjoying the music.
It's the same.
[00:07:23] Speaker A: It actually is a big satisfaction that even though as you said it was work, it was a process and pre cutting and having everything ready.
But when you see the outcome of it and that people really enjoy it, that's where you feel like, I'm excited, I'm very proud.
It's been worth the sacrifice, the hard work, the pulling that you described.
And that's where our heart is for me, it's the kitchen. For me is serving, taking care of the neighbor, caring about other people, trying to go out of my safe or comfortable zone to meet other people's needs.
That's how I see life. And just like business, you have to go out of the ordinary, right? Of the common things that you're used to, to do something extra to please and satisfy your customers needs.
So that's what I found, right?
What do all those worlds have in common for you?
What do you find in common?
[00:08:28] Speaker B: As in the music?
[00:08:30] Speaker A: As in the music, as in even the kitchen, you know, cooking, preparing.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: Okay. Everyone loves to eat and everyone loves to dance.
That's most definitely true. I've never had an event. Actually there was one and it was so awkward. It's like there's no food. What? Oh my God. How do you have an event without food. And it's the same when you're cooking. Do you turn on music?
[00:08:54] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:08:55] Speaker A: There's a story behind that as well. I do love music, but it has to do a lot with my mother. My mother loved to dance. My mother loved a lot of elements, Latin music, because I'm Hispanic. And we would dance and sing, you know, and as we were cooking, I find that a big connection, you know, with that, because it's fun. And that's what kitchen or cooking should be about. Having fun, enjoying every moment. So I agree.
[00:09:22] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I've heard the term, don't ever let someone angry cook your food.
It's like a spirit that transfers from the person that's making it into the food.
[00:09:35] Speaker A: I agree so much that actually, that's a word that I mentioned, and I. I didn't even know what you just said. I've been to different restaurants, and when I try their food, I'm like, if it's not good, I said, oh, I guess they were sad or they were angry or they're, you know, they're upset.
Because I find that food is a way that we all connect, regardless of where we come from or our nationality. I believe that we all connect one way or another because of our higher power, because of our daddy, God. And if we love one another, I think we should learn to love one another with the kitchen, with food, and letting them enjoy something different.
That's how I see life.
[00:10:17] Speaker B: Absolutely. And the same is with music. I could turn on.
I don't know. Bruno Mars, ymca, I can turn on. And everybody's the cha cha slide. Everyone's dancing, or just. It doesn't matter if I turn it on, they'll love it. So that's why, like, even with, like, the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny's performance, you know, there was a big deal about that. It's like, just be quiet and enjoy the music. You enjoy it anyway. You do the Macarena with no problem. Right. It's the same. Music is a connector. And it's so much history behind music. Just like, there's so much history behind food. I learned that horchata, which is we've known as a Spanish beverage. It's actually an African beverage.
[00:10:56] Speaker A: It's like, what it is. And actually, you don't even know my cookbook, Cooking with Love. You all has the history. Also, each one of my recipes, because I don't like just to be just on the front top layer of giving people a recipe. I'd like to go deep and find out where did that recipe come out from? Where did it originate? Why? And word, it continued growing because eventually they change, recipes change. But that's my desire to impact everyone and let them know that we all become one in Christ. And with that said, you all, please don't leave us because we have so much to share. It's been a great time together sharing a little bit about the cooking, the business world, the dj and so much more. So stay right there. We will be right back.
[00:11:49] Speaker B: Sam,
[00:12:20] Speaker A: welcome back.
Cooking requires timing, preparation, and creativity. How do those same skills show up running your DJ business?
[00:12:34] Speaker B: So the timing, the preparation for D. With DJing in the business, a lot of it is reading the crowd.
So if I were to, let's say, for example, to DJ like a Bollywood event, I wouldn't necessarily only play hip hop.
I would play the music that is custom to their culture. You know, I can mix a little bit in there, just a little bit of American music.
But everything is based off of the crowd. It's reading the crowd, the audience.
No two audiences are the same. I've done like three Bollywood events back to back. All of them were different. So everything is special and unique to the crowd. So preparing for that, I always ask my clients first. Okay, tell me a little bit about your culture and tell me a little bit about your favorite types of music, because that determines which way I go once I dj. So I never like to have just like a playlist. So I think as far as, like cooking in relation, let's say someone just hands you a recipe, right? You may or may not do every single detail in that recipe.
You might make it a little special with something like you grew up with from your childhood or something you want to try. Or maybe a spice. Spice is a big one. Adding spice to food. Some people only like spicy food.
So preparing for that, just like cooking. So let's say, let's say not a big cook. I like to cook. I cook really delicious foods, but I have to remember to prepare first so that way it doesn't seem so overwhelming of, oh my goodness, this is boiling. Oh, my goodness, this is in the oven. Oh, my goodness, this is. This is in the air fryer. So if I prepare, it makes for a smoother transition. So yes. So cooking and DJing with business, it's so similar. It's so funny. I've never really thought about it like that until we're talking today, but there is a lot of similarities there. So, yes, preparing makes for a smoother transition.
[00:14:33] Speaker A: Just like delicious food. Yes, I definitely agree. And you're right. The fact of coming up with a recipe, that's actually what I do.
The fruit salad, it was something that I came up with. It's not a recipe that you see somewhere else.
It was just a day. I love berries. I love strawberries. I love a mix of a little bit of everything. And I said, why can't I just do a little bit of this and add this, but then take that out and, you know. So I came up with this recipe just like several others that I have, and it was just me, the one that came up with it. But honestly, I think it's the love that I have for the kitchen, and it reminds me of my mother and good times and good moments. So it takes me back to that time when everything was just right. I was a young little girl, and spending time with her in the kitchen, and even those little baking. I don't know if you actually know of those.
Those supposedly baking little toy sets.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Easy Bake oven.
[00:15:33] Speaker A: Easy Bake oven that I would put it in, and it would just run and run and run. I was waiting on the other side, waiting for that little piece of pie or waiting for that little dessert that I was working on. So it brings me to a lot of memories, fun, loving memories with my mother in the kitchen. So have you ever learned a hard business lesson in the kitchen?
[00:15:54] Speaker B: Hard business lesson? Yes.
Don't rush it.
I have burned water because I put the boiling water on high and I have burned water. So, yes, Take your time. Make it a. Make it a pace, make it a vibe, which is why I asked you play music, because music helps with cooking, and it gives you that vibe versus. Oh, my goodness. What time is it? Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. It's. No, breathe. And just let it flow.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: Let it flow. I agree with you. And yes, when you're trying to brush yourself, what's going to happen and what you're going to create is you could end up burning the dish that you're going to prepare or you're so focused on the time, which, yes, there are some recipes that will take a longer time than, you know, just a basic recipe. But whatever you cook, be focused on how much it's going to take, what the temperature should it be. Being proactive. That's how I call it, proactive. Planning ahead. What are the items that you're going to be needing, the ingredients, the items, and how much of what that will actually create a very smooth transition, and you're going to have a great outcome, you know, with the dish or the Dessert or whatever you're preparing. But if you're just rushing, it's going to be very hectic, stressful, and maybe it's not the right day. Maybe you could wait for another day where you're more with extra time, or that day you have already planned it ahead.
Who knows? But you're right. Planning ahead and thinking about what you're going to prepare. Because if not, of course you're going to end up burning, whether it's water or you're going to end up just with a pot with no more water left there and it's just running. And then you're going to end up smelling that your whole house is going to smell. So, yes, even me. When I was a little girl, my mother had, believe it or not, she told me about tips and tricks that you will also find. Cooking with Love, My cookbook. You will see that about that. Do this, not do that, wash your hands, do basic things. But if someone is not familiar with the cooking or, or with the baking, it's going to be very helpful to know what to do.
So that way they'll have an easy experience in the kitchen.
So have you ever learned that at times you're in the kitchen and all of a sudden you get a phone call or something happens and you just leave the kitchen like that?
Have you ever figured out or planned ahead? Because you're also a business world businesswoman, as in the DJ and area planning ahead. So that way you could actually be more proactive because the phone will ring, you will get, who knows, emails or a distraction happens or the puppy needs to go outside or.
[00:18:57] Speaker B: How.
[00:18:57] Speaker A: How do you. How would you manage that?
[00:19:00] Speaker B: That's a really good question.
I know we keep talking a lot about kitchen. I had to remind myself that I am a grill master.
Oh, my God. I'm from Kansas City, Missouri, and we are very known for barbecue. I'm a grill master. I have chicken that is waiting on me right now to throw on the grill. I'm a grill master. So in the kitchen, I will leave that to you if we cook together. But the grill, all me, don't even worry about it. I got it, I got it, I got it. So preparation, I would say thawing out the meat, this would be the most important.
But I don't. Nothing takes me away from grilling. That is where my heart is. I had to really think about that. I'm like, I'm not a kitchen, but I love the grill. So nothing takes me away from grilling. Especially if the music is on.
I'm one of those people. I'm not really big on phones, so my phone will be in a corner, lost, dead, not even battery. Like, it's not even on.
They make fun of me about that. Like, people like, I called you and I'm like, oh, I didn't even know. And I really didn't know. But I was grilling, and nothing's going to take me away from grilling. Because once you burn your food on the grill, that's it.
There was an instance, though, about a week ago, my husband had a really fun filming job. And I wanted to go right. I forgot I was grilling burgers. Right.
I lit the grill so well that it was still cooking by the time when we got back home, which was probably like five hours later. So I just turned the little burger patties into charcoal. Cause that's how hard they were. So if it's something fun and exciting, I guess it can take me away from the grill when it comes to leaving my home. But outside of that, I'm pretty much into it, whatever I'm doing.
[00:20:53] Speaker A: Wow, that's exciting. I didn't know that about you. For me, it's like when I think about the grill, it's. I call de carbon. That means that everything is done in the charcoal, you know, so what I think what comes into mind are fajitas, marinated or marinated chicken, or, you know, with sausage and all that. Because that's a very common, typical meal that we enjoy doing on the grill.
But it has to be marinated.
And we actually add also onions, which I'm gonna be doing that. I was gonna let you. Onions with lime, lemon, and some salt in there. You mix it all. A great guacamole because we always have sides when it comes to that. It's not just the meat.
I don't like my meat to be very dark. I like burned. I don't like that. I always like to leave it a little, but almost not just right cooked.
[00:21:50] Speaker B: I just need to see the grill lines.
[00:21:52] Speaker A: Yes, the grill line, yes. But if it's red, I don't like it. But I'm very particular with that. And I love my guacamole, my salsa, Mexican salsa. There's different kinds. The red, the green, it has to go with that. Tortillas, whether they're flour, whether they're corn, even quesadillas. I don't know if you're aware with that, the more mozzarella you could add to it, the better it is. And my secret ingredient, as we just talked previously, how are you cooking today? Is it with the heart or how are you with anger? Is it that you're so overwhelmed that you're just rushing through? Or, you know, it's about making sure that you're cooking with love, which. That's what my cookbook is named. It's Cooking with Love with Annalee. Because it's about pouring my heart.
And so when I'm out there, I love to do that. Yes, I'll do hamburgers, I'll do, you know, maybe hot dogs. But I'm more about. I really love to my roots. Just like you that you love your roots, you love your barbecue. And I'm going to try to learn a little bit more about that, which I think I could do at the barbecue on the grill. But definitely I think that the main ingredient is cooking with love.
Right. So as a DJ is more than just music. As you said, it's a branding. It's actually who you are.
Logistics, people skills. What do most people misunderstand about running a DJ business?
[00:23:24] Speaker B: I think first and foremost is that it's mostly a man.
Yeah, man led, man made man. Men. Men. Men. Mostly men.
But actually with that, I get so excited because when they see me, when I come to events, they're just like a girl.
Okay. That's the look I get.
Probably about 30 minutes to an hour in, they're like, oh, wow, they're pounding. They're half fiving. Oh, my God, you could.
How did you know that song? How did you know that music?
[00:24:00] Speaker A: How did you.
[00:24:00] Speaker B: And for me, it really is the love.
Just like you say with cooking, it is the love. I don't do it just because of.
For the money. I don't do it just because it's more than that. It's way more than that. So branding is. I feel like it's up to me to brand because if you don't hear it or see it for yourself, you won't have any idea, you know? So branding is very important because it also says that I'm proud of who I am and I'm proud of what I do, you know? So I think people need to understand that if you love music, if you love to see that happy response and reaction from other people, you should be a dj and you will be an amazing dj.
[00:24:45] Speaker A: Wow. You're actually teaching me something or taking me to a place that I might have to start thinking a little bit about what I want to do besides what I'm doing right now, because I love music and I think that I have that good eye. A Good ear to know and sense, you know, tones and music and rhythms. And I love music too. And I mean, I feel really connected with you today about knowing more about you and the experience that you have with all these kinds of music out there. People, your customers. I cannot wait for you all to stay with us because we're about to cook together and I'm about to share what we're cooking in the kitchen. So stay with us.
Thank you for staying here with us as we're about to get headed on preparing these delicious corn on the cobs.
So what was one moment when you realized this wasn't just a hustle, but a real business?
[00:26:16] Speaker B: There were two different occasions that made me realize that. One was that there are millionaire DJs. Like, there's DJs that make $50 an hour, and then there's some that make $50,000 an hour. So I'm like, oh, this is not just a little shindig. This is the real deal. The other moment was realizing that DJs also come with other accessories. For example, I also have a photo booth business that goes along with my DJing. I also do karaoke, which is so fun.
That comes along with the business as well. So it was that moment when I started incorporating other things with having fun at a party outside of eating, outside of dancing. There's also the photography. There's also people that want to sing and perform and dance, floor lights and etc. Like, it can go and go and go and go. So it was at that moment I'm like, oh, this is an official business.
Wow.
[00:27:18] Speaker A: So people seem to be very excited of adding additional things. It's not only the dj, but it's more than that. I didn't even have a clue.
[00:27:25] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. So it's kind of like with cooking, like, we have corn, but then we have other things as well. That makes it delicious, right? Yes.
[00:27:35] Speaker A: It just kind of like complements. Absolutely. Dish. And in this case, the DJ in your business. Wow. Yeah. How do you stay consistent and excited when pressure is high and expectations are non slow?
[00:27:49] Speaker B: Stop.
Okay. Not to get too deep, but I always meditate and talk to God before I attend any event.
Every single event. And even there's. There's those times where I'm like, oh, I forgot to pray. I forgot to pray. It's like, oh, my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. So music, spirituality, it's all. It's all one. It's all one. So I don't have any crazed moments or anything. I'M ready to go as soon as I get there.
[00:28:18] Speaker A: Wow, that definitely is exciting. I could just feel your. Your, you know, the feeling that you have for music.
It's a passion that you have that you carry very deeply.
[00:28:28] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:28:29] Speaker A: Well, we have to get started here with this. These corn in the cob, because definitely we're going to come up with our own way of doing this corn on the cob, whether we want to come up and do the traditional corn on the cob, which is, you know, I'm just gonna go up and grab a corn on the cob here, and you're welcome to do the same thing whichever you like. And we're gonna figure out how do they do the corn and the cob here in the United States? It's very typical that they normally do, you know, their butter, which I have here, and I'm gonna probably walk through the ingredients. Butter, salt, mayonnaise, sauce, very Hispanic Mexican sauce, and queso fresco.
Believe it or not. There's several places that is. They're very much known. Well known in Mexico, the north part of Mexico, where they like to add a little bit of cheese. And maybe that's something that happens here, but that's where you see it most, you know, in different kinds of cheeses, like cheese queso, cotija, and some other kinds. And, of course, we want to put a little bit more of the spiciness that you will actually find. You know, it's very well known, the tajin. So the most common one that we find here is mainly that we add a little bit of butter.
[00:29:46] Speaker B: Mantequilla.
[00:29:47] Speaker A: Mantequilla. Oh, you see? So we add a little bit of that to our dish, and you could add as much as you want, and you just start, you know, making sure that it's full of the butter, and people like to add even salt to it. So you add as much as you'd like. And this is going to be, I would call it, the.
The American way from here, from the United States, how they are used to having their own corn on the cob, and maybe they add a little bit of salt, because definitely you need to have a little bit of that.
[00:30:22] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:30:22] Speaker A: And that's how we actually do our little corn on the cob. And.
[00:30:29] Speaker B: Okay, now, Annalee, when are we going to call this an elote and not corn on the cob?
[00:30:34] Speaker A: Yes, elote. That's actually very true. I love that. Yes. Elote. O elotes. I remember growing up in a time where maybe you've never heard of such thing, but in Mexico, it's very common that a certain time in the day, and it's like every day, they only rest two times in the week. You will see this man with this huge little cart, and then he has this big bucket full of corn. And even the water. I don't know how he keeps it warm. I think he had, like, a little.
Little thing that was carried. He would carry it underneath his little.
Little buggy or little car that he was running. But you would hear him from miles away saying, elotes, elotes. And I remember that as a little girl. Oh, my. And I would. My mom would always say, oh, he's coming, he's coming.
[00:31:24] Speaker B: So.
[00:31:25] Speaker A: So I would step out with my mom, and we were just waiting for him to cross the street. You know, as soon as we would see him, we would just wait. And he knew what that meant. That meant that he had to stop and watch us. And then he would ask, how do you want it? You wanted a corn on the cob. Do you want me to already just give you, you know, the corn, and then you just go and add what you would like?
[00:31:46] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:31:46] Speaker A: But in this case, it takes me to those memories. And I know that you also have some fond memories with your family of corn or a connection when you see the corn, but you actually are more than welcome to add if you want. The other is very typical that I'm going to do it more of what I'm used to as a little girl. I wanted people to see that the. The way that people eat it here is mainly like this. It's just mainly butter, and it's mainly. You put probably lime, lemon, and then a little bit of salt.
Just very plain.
Flavors are just really good. Regardless if it's just plain, I call it plain. Because what I'm about to do here, it's going to be more of that, you know, the Latin way or the way I was brought up. And that actually is perfectly fine. I cannot wait to see what you're going to come up with, because I know that you're going to come up with your own version, and I love it. Thank you.
[00:32:41] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:32:41] Speaker A: You know, the way that you were brought up. So I'm going to actually.
Well, this is butter.
[00:32:46] Speaker B: I'm actually kind of following your lead,
[00:32:48] Speaker A: and I'm going to actually do how we do it in Mexico, and it's mainly that. It's actually with mayonnaisa. And you're like, mayonesa.
[00:32:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:32:56] Speaker A: But it's pretty good. So you add just the mayonesa.
[00:33:00] Speaker B: When I Was a kid, I went to Mexico. We went to Veracruz.
[00:33:03] Speaker A: Oh, that's a beautiful place. It is.
[00:33:05] Speaker B: And they put mayonnaise on their hot dogs, you see. Oh, my goodness. We were like, what is going on?
So, yes, I know. And have learned that my Yonesa is used different ways.
[00:33:18] Speaker A: It is. And actually, that's how I do my hot dogs.
[00:33:20] Speaker B: Oh, really?
[00:33:21] Speaker A: And I didn't even know. But it's just part of, you know, my culture that I'm used to eating it that way, our hot dogs here at home.
Because I want that extra, you know, flavor, and maybe it's the same, but I see it that way.
[00:33:35] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:33:36] Speaker A: So I'm going to grab a little bit of this because we do add.
Let me go. Okay, there we go. We add a little bit of this because it will give it some flavor.
[00:33:45] Speaker B: Juicy.
[00:33:45] Speaker A: Very juicy. And of course, we actually add.
I'm just gonna do this queso al fresco like this. Look at that. Oh, my goodness. It's just so special. So we add quesito fresco. And you actually even add, if you like the salsa.
And you see how the colors stand out. Oh, yeah.
[00:34:08] Speaker B: It's just.
[00:34:08] Speaker A: Look at that. It's just so, so, so if you like spicy. Very, very spicy. This is where you go.
[00:34:14] Speaker B: Now, let me ask you, when you were a child, back in. When you were saying with your mother and everything, and the man would come down the street, kind of like the ice cream truck.
[00:34:21] Speaker A: Sounds like it was actually like the ice cream truck.
[00:34:24] Speaker B: Yes. Was it in cups and basos, or was it like this on cobs?
[00:34:28] Speaker A: Actually, he offered both when it was in Basel.
We knew that it was. The corn was already off, you know, the husk that it was just main, you know, shredded off. Yeah. And you would do it there. It would actually even have you choose the one that you mainly the most. That you mostly like. You would actually look into it. And I'm like, oh, that one's too small. I want a bigger one. Or, you know, you got to do that. So it brought me to a lot of memories.
He was not the kind of just say, oh, there you go.
[00:34:58] Speaker B: Yeah, he let you choose.
[00:34:59] Speaker A: He let you choose. He would actually. He would give you the. He would give you the cup and tell you, what is it that you want me to add in your cup? And then he would actually go and put it in. But then he would also say, do you want the corn already? I already have it here. I've already, you know, cut it. I already have it all cut up. Or do you want it to come out fresh from the hot pan bowl that he had, had a big bowl full of hot water. And I'm like, you know what? I think I'd rather have it as fresh as possible. So you would actually do that for me right there? Yes, yes.
[00:35:32] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. Nowadays, the kids and stuff, they're adding, like, hot Cheetos, and there's all type of hot Cheetos.
[00:35:40] Speaker A: And the closest that I could get is adding a little bit of Tajin, which we have right here. I could actually add a little bit of Tajin, because, of course, the hotter, the better.
In my culture, it has to be the hotter, the better. And I'm like, okay, see what my guest, my precious guest that we have today, how what she's going to come up with. Because, as we know, we are. We come from different backgrounds, but that's perfectly fine, because every background, I find that is special, and everyone has so much to offer, and I just find that very special, and I love it. So I would love to know what you're going to come up with, because I could tell that you're actually coming up with a very different elote.
[00:36:27] Speaker B: I was getting mine real juicy. Like, yours is beautiful. I could take a picture of yours. Mine is just, like, childlike, but I'm going to tear it up. Oh, I'm going to bite into this thing. Oh, my goodness. And the cool part is that even though, yes, I am African American, I grew up with both cultures. So learning Spanish, the school I went to, you could only speak Spanish. You would get in trouble if you spoke English.
So the culture of the, like, the Hispanic, Latin culture, I'm so familiar with this. Like, so familiar. I've just never done any of that myself. I just go buy it. So this is actually my first time making an elote, but it's so special. And thank you for having me.
[00:37:04] Speaker A: No, thank you for being here. It means a lot to me. I said, I want something. I want to come up with a recipe that will allow us to participate together, to do something together.
I love that.
And for you to come up with your own version of your own elote, your own corn on the cob. And that means a lot to me because I'm just like you. I know of my culture, of course, and I'm very proud of it.
But I also know about your culture, and I know that you also have a lot to offer, and there's nothing better than coming together. It does not matter where we come from, but it definitely. What does matter is that we're Able to connect, even through food, you know, because it's a very important and meaningful way to connect.
[00:37:48] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:37:48] Speaker A: Through food, through flavors. The spiciness. For me, I love my food to be with that little extra kick of spiciness and sometimes a little sweeter. It all depends on what it is. I don't like the mixes of a sweet and sour.
I don't know, maybe it's a good thing or it's a bad, but I like to stay with the same. You know, it's sweet. Sweet like a pizza. I'm not used to having a pizza with pineapple. Pineapple. Love it. But I guess it has to do a lot with my culture and the way I was brought up. But where, you know, they come from, it's more the north part of Mexico. But anyway, it changes a lot different. And it's even different from the north to the south of Mexico.
[00:38:34] Speaker B: I bet it does.
[00:38:36] Speaker A: Yes. Your response or for setting the tone at events, how intentional are you about the atmosphere you create?
[00:38:46] Speaker B: I am extremely intentional about setting the tone because, again, when I show up as a girl and then you don't know how old I am, that's the other thing, too. So it's like. It's so much mystery when I pop on the scene. So I love to set the tone and just shock and surprise everyone. So I get a feel for the crowd. I get a feel for the culture. Culture's so important. Oh, my goodness. And then I just go from there, and look, it's all about having fun.
[00:39:14] Speaker A: So.
[00:39:14] Speaker B: So just like corn. Like, my mom, she made fried corn. Yeah. She would cut it fresh off the cob. She would put it in a skillet, and I think she used, like, peppers.
Like, what do you call that? Pico.
[00:39:30] Speaker A: What? Pico de gallo. That's like tomato. It's onion, and then it's peppers that. We call it pico de gallo.
[00:39:36] Speaker B: Okay. So the pico de gallo, she would put pico de gallo in her fried corn and then put some sugar on it.
Really? Oh, my God. So just like food, just like music, it all comes back. It all is connected. It all comes back. So, yes, this is exciting. So setting the tone is just basically just having a base and a foundation, and then from there, you just go with either what you know or you try something different. Because I do that too. I like to try something different and see how they react. So for, like, for example, us, you would put a little hot sauce on it to see how I'd react, because I really don't like spicy food. But I will try it.
[00:40:14] Speaker A: Oh, wow.
[00:40:15] Speaker B: I'm learning.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: I'm learning a lot. Yes, I do like that. But it's the way that I was brought up. I think that if I was not, if I never got to be introduced to this before, I would have probably say, I pass. I'm not going to want to have that. But when you have that extra kick in the meals, I feel that it brings flavors out of other things, you know, of other tomatoes, onion, the sour cream and the spiciness of the green salsa or the red. It's the same thing here. You created your own corn on the cob, and I just cannot wait for you and I to try it.
[00:40:48] Speaker B: Oh, my God.
[00:40:48] Speaker A: Are you ready? Please don't leave and stay with us. We're about to come back in a couple of seconds.
[00:41:01] Speaker B: Sam,
[00:41:27] Speaker A: Welcome back. As we just said previously, we're about to try this corn on the cob. Whether you like it spicy. Yours is also a little spicy, by the way. It is.
It looks delicious. Most definitely. Or if you just want the plain. I call it plain because it doesn't have much, but the flavors are already there. So you pick. You take your pick which one you want to have. I know you're going to want to try yours.
[00:41:51] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:41:51] Speaker A: And see how good it is. I'm going to try right now very plain. Because if I end up coughing and we're doing this, I want to wait, but I definitely will try it. Let's see how good it is.
[00:42:09] Speaker B: My daughter's going to be so upset.
She lives for elotes.
[00:42:13] Speaker A: Oh, my goodness. But it's so sweet.
And it turned out they turned out
[00:42:18] Speaker B: to be very sweet and juicy.
[00:42:20] Speaker A: And juicy and tender.
Oh, my goodness. It's so delicious. I wish we could have you here and we could share one of the elotes with you all.
[00:42:31] Speaker B: So you could try it. No, no, not this elote. You share those. You can't share this. This is.
[00:42:36] Speaker A: That's your elote. Most definitely. I understand how you feel about that.
[00:42:41] Speaker B: You know, so delicious.
[00:42:42] Speaker A: You want to definitely try it, and we definitely are on the mood of trying something different.
So, as you know, your faith plays a role in your life and work. How do you integrate it with out compromising professionalism? Because sometimes, you know, we have to find a way how to integrate it. How? How do you integrate this?
[00:43:09] Speaker B: Honestly, my faith is very personal to me, and I know that other people, everyone's faith is kind of different to me, so I keep mine personal. Like I said, I meditate and pray before and I leave it at that. So I leave my. It's very personal to me. It's very daring to me. It's very spiritual. It's very. Just. It's mine, you know? And so when people see me being a happy person, like, oh, my God, you're so happy, and you're so. And I'm like.
[00:43:41] Speaker A: And I leave it at that.
[00:43:43] Speaker B: I let them think or feel or however they like. But my faith is very important and personal to me.
[00:43:48] Speaker A: It reflects the way where you're at, you know, in your life. It really will reflect with the people that are around you. They'll see that you're upbeat, that you're positive, that you're caring, and people will want to know what's there, why is she that way?
And they'll be able to, you know, come and ask and want to know more about you and I, and that's just who you are. And I think that that's very, very special.
[00:44:13] Speaker B: Thank you, Annelise. Thank you. I definitely feel like it's a feeling. It's something that can't even really be explained. It's just something you feel.
[00:44:20] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:44:20] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:44:21] Speaker A: It's there or it's not there.
[00:44:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:44:22] Speaker A: So in industries where values can be tested, what boundaries have you chosen not to cross?
[00:44:32] Speaker B: I try not to get too personal. I try to keep everything professional, clean cut.
Sometimes if my clients want to have a personal relationship outside of that, I'm open to that. But for the most part, we met on business, so I try to keep it business.
[00:44:49] Speaker A: I love that.
[00:44:50] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:44:50] Speaker A: I love that. Because it's very easy to go the other way because of what you're doing as a dj, as a business owner, taking care of your customers. And then it could go to the other side.
[00:45:01] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:45:01] Speaker A: When it becomes very personal and they want to know and they want to get involved and they even share about themselves and their lives and, you know, their issues and whatsoever. But being that way, not only. It's not that you want to have a boundary or that you just want. No, it's a way that same professional. Absolutely. Making sure that you're taking care of their needs, but at the same time, if you jump that line, it's not going to be easy. You will not be able to go back. Can't come back to where you were at the beginning with that professionalism, with that care, you know, So I. I also do the same thing because.
Not. Because I don't want people to know about my life or my things, but I've always been very careful that's how I call it. Careful, Very private. But that doesn't mean that we're not going to go and care about our neighbor or want to know about, you know, what they like, the music that they like, the kind of food that we just had, whether it's a corn on the cob, whether it's a song or is it Latin music or that, you know, you do. But you just want to be careful.
[00:46:05] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:46:05] Speaker A: You don't want to be perceived differently or for people to feel comfortable enough, you know, to maybe say something or do something.
So you're very mindful.
[00:46:15] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:46:16] Speaker A: That's what comes in mind to me, that she's mindful, she's careful. How does faith guide the way you treat clients, teams, and collaborators?
[00:46:26] Speaker B: I am a huge advocate of treat people the way you want to be treated. Like, I can't stress that enough.
So for my clients and my collaborators, it's very important to me to just keep it on a high note. That's the best way I can say it. Keep it on a high note, keep it exciting, keep it fun, keep it professional.
And a little secret about me is I am very clingy. So I do have to be careful myself. Yes, I'm very clingy. I fall in love with people so, so easily and so fast. Even some of my clients was like, oh, my God, can we see each other again? Can we? You know, but like I said, as long as I keep. Keep it professional, I don't. I don't really have to, you know, worry about my. My feelings being hurt because I thought we were friends and really we're just business to clients, so. Yeah.
[00:47:18] Speaker A: Yeah. You're very sweet.
[00:47:19] Speaker B: Thank you. Yeah.
[00:47:20] Speaker A: Very sweet. That's what I've noticed. How do you reset when business and events and life gets old, Overwhelming.
[00:47:29] Speaker B: I have practiced deep breathing for quite some time. I know it sounds so simple of just, oh, you're just taking a few breaths. No, taking breaths to clear your mind, your peace, your serenity is so important. It is so important. So as long as I do that, I don't have many issues.
[00:47:53] Speaker A: I don't.
[00:47:54] Speaker B: I do not. I do not. So it's kind of like, even with
[00:47:56] Speaker A: cooking, like, it's like that.
[00:47:58] Speaker B: Just take a deep breath and just let it flow. I think we've said let it flow quite a few times.
[00:48:03] Speaker A: Yes. Just let it be. Don't stress, don't feel overwhelmed.
Just do your very best and everything is going to fall into place.
[00:48:11] Speaker B: Every time.
[00:48:12] Speaker A: Yes, every time.
What role does rest, reflection, and even prayer Play in your routine.
[00:48:21] Speaker B: My day starts every day, even with my children. So I have children.
And then I ask my kids little smell secret. I was like, do you guys think I'm a nice mom or mean mom? And they're like, mom, you're only mean in the morning. And I'm like, oh.
I'm like, well, yeah, probably. If I tell you to get up and you don't get up. So I've changed that what I do every single morning, we wake up to affirmations.
So because I'm a dj, I have speakers all over the house, right? It's so funny. I have a speaker upstairs. And so I Bluetooth, I turn on affirmations, affirmations in the morning. And then there's a timer that tells them you have this much time to get up. I'm the nicest mom in the world. Now I. You can never say. I mean, yes, every morning, Every morning, every single morning.
[00:49:05] Speaker A: I think that that will build their self esteem, absolutely. Will build, you know, who they are, their character, but also people will get to see that. I call it mapping because I could actually share where I was and where I'm at right now. When you know your identity and you know that your identity is not in what you went through, but in the way that the Lord sees you and also the way your loved ones see you, then you could go back and reassure that every morning by giving those affirmation words like saying, I'm loved, I'm beautiful, I'm, you know, smart, I'm talented. You could come up with all these different words, but always trying to uplift yourself and uplift as well, the people that are around you. It's not only about yourself, it should be also about the people that are around you. And that includes your family, your children, your spouse, if you have a spouse.
Even my pets, I could say, absolutely. I actually do that because my mom did that with us and with our pets. She would actually call them out and call, call her pets and say, it is veya.
Yes, yes, yes, it is especial. You know, she would say all these different words. You're special, you're beautiful, you're. Excuse me, but it's just a pet.
No, I believe that they also have an amazing value and I treat them like family.
So with that said, most definitely every morning say a positive affirmation word over your life.
[00:50:39] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:50:40] Speaker A: And with that said, you all, I hope you enjoyed this episode because it was fabulous to have this guest with me today. Learn so much about her, the love that she has. And she's so fond about my culture as I am so fond about her culture as well. There's nothing better than coming together in common ground and focus more on the things we have in common. The food. Whether it's food, whether it's business, whether it's anything you do. A dj, rapping music that we just talked about today.
And making the best out of both cultures, different cultures in one.
[00:51:22] Speaker B: Thank you for having me.
[00:51:24] Speaker A: Thank you so much for being here with me. It's such an honor and a blessing to have you. And thank you all for staying here with us. Tuning on to another Cook and conquer. Have a wonderful day.
