Michael Dean

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01:03Y'all, I know we just had a ton of snow, but we are moving closer to spring and the Daisy Hazy IPA is here to break us out of this cold and move us into the spring and they have it right now available for you. You can try it at the tap room over in the nations or you can order it right now from Debt Distributing. This is their seasonal release, Daisy Hazy IPA from Fat Bottom Brewery. Welcome to Nashville Restaurant Radio, the tastiest hour of talk in Music City. Now here's your host, Brandon Styll. Hello, Music City, and welcome. To Nashville Restaurant Radio. My name is Brandon Styll and I am your host. We are powered by Gordon Food Service.

02:05This should be the last episode without Caroline. Going forward, we should have Caroline in all the episodes, but this one was a fun one. This is with Michael Dean. Michael Dean is with a company called Cali Sober and they make THC beverages, kind of like Ken Peltier we just had on who was with Calexo. He is Cali Sober and they are a new sponsor. So we're really excited to have him on. This interview happened before they became a sponsor, but it was all kind of part of it. But I'm really interested in this space. I'm really interested in the THC beverages because they're coming out like crazy. There's not a lot of regulation around them and I think guests are gonna start asking for them and I just have lots of questions. So I'm constantly looking to have these conversations and I thought I'd share it with all of y'all because I'm sure a lot of you have the same thoughts and stuff going on in your head, especially now that we're into February and dry January's over. I'm curious how many people want to continue on with trying something other than alcohol. They defined their relationship with alcohol and they weren't really happy with it.

03:05Or I don't know, whatever the case might be. But I love this conversation. It's a really good one and thank you Michael for joining us on the show. I have an ask. We're going into February and I would love for you to help get the word out about this podcast. We want to help, we just want to grow it a little bit, build it. If you have people that you work with that haven't heard of the show, tell somebody about it. If you want to make a post about it, if you want to go anywhere, your favorite episode, whatever it might be, make sure you tag us in it. If you're doing any kind of features at your restaurant you want us to talk about, tag us in those as well and we will see what we can get on the show. Also follow us on Instagram, go to Instagram, nashville underscore restaurant underscore radio and give us a follow. And I want to send a big special shout out to our friends over at News 2 WKRN and the show Local on 2. They're kind enough to have me back again this week before last.

04:08We talked about some healthy food out there in Nashville. If you're outside of January going into February and you're looking for some healthy dishes and we highlighted a dish from the Germantown Cafe which is a coconut curry salmon dish. It was wonderful. We highlighted SS Guy and their butternut squash salad which is their play on a papaya salad but it's a little more consistent throughout the season and it was absolutely delicious with grilled chicken. And we talked about the beehive. Ben sticks over at the beehive, we talked about indulgently eating plant-based foods and then at Nicky's you can get a lot of toppings for your pizza that are also plant-based and then Frothy Monkey and there's a lot of other restaurants out there that are featuring beehive products. If you're a restaurant that wants to feature some really good vegan products, the beehive is somebody who you might want to check out. That's B-E-H-I-V-E. So it was really fun to talk about those restaurants as well as our restaurants. Talked about Chago's Cantina which is we've got seven salads on that menu and so it's a healthy place and the Green Hills Grill as well for 17 salads.

05:14So lots of fun things going on. Just wanted to say a big shout out. Thank you to Laura and Larissa who are the hosts over there and they're just fantastic. That's so much fun. I'd love to get them on the show here real soon. Maybe we can do that coming up. So enjoy this episode. Have a wonderful week ahead. I know Valentine's Day is coming. We've got some really cool episodes we're putting out. Interviewing this week. So we'll be doing some work this week to put some new content out there and we cannot wait to share them with you. Hope you guys enjoy this episode right now with Michael Dean. All right, so super excited today. Random fun episode. I'm here with Michael Dean and he is the VP and Chief Revenue Officer for Cali Sober. What's up man? Hey man. It's good to be here. This is awesome. Kind of a fun impromptu thing. I met you at the Killjoy Marketplace. I did not get you on the show that day.

06:17So here we are. We're doing a lecture. I know. Because you have founded this brand called Cali Sober and it's a THC infused mocktail and they're delicious. Yeah, they are delicious. And I'm so interested in this space right now. Yeah, it's a really interesting space. A little bit of the history of Cali Sober. So it was started by my college roommate whose name is Flip Cudero. And he and I went to college together. We roomed together sophomore through senior year and then lost touch after we graduated. I moved to Germany for five years. He started a marketing agency that exploded and did really well. Why'd you move to Germany? I worked for Young Life in Germany. So I worked with high school, middle school age students and if you don't know what Young Life is, it's a non-profit faith-based youth organization that offers mentoring for middle school, high school age students.

07:21I cannot wait for the transition to I'm gonna own a THC infused mocktail brand. So yeah. So anyways, while I'm doing non-profit ministry in Germany, Flip is starting a marketing agency and starts working with Pizza Hut and Frito and a lot of these other really large beverage companies. So he gets a lot of beverage experience from like the corporate side. And then we were talking about this the other day. It was maybe kind of closer towards 2007, 2008 and if he hears this, I could be wrong on the timing of it. But he started to get introduced to cannabis and he already knew about it. But and it started to have a really positive effect on his life. And- Cannabis had a positive effect on his life? Yeah. Okay, good. Yeah, it's had a positive effect on my life as well too, which we can get into at some point. But anyways, so fast forward, he and I reconnect two years ago and just kind of as friends and realized that we had a lot of alignment, he and I, not only just kind of in the entrepreneurial realm but we knew each other really well because we lived together for three years.

08:43And it was clear that he had been through a lot of life and I'd been through a lot of life as well too. And so there was almost kind of a deeper spiritual connection that we had as well too. And so we would just get together and we would talk business, we would talk life, we would talk like business ideas because he had a lot. After his marketing agency, he went into cannabis and started a couple of cannabis companies. One was a cannabis marketing agency and then he started an edibles company called Goodkind, which are delicious. And they give, I think they give 10 or 15% back as well too. So it's a really interesting business model. He's sort of fascinated with business models and how they can benefit the community or. No, is that locally here in Nashville? Goodkind? Yeah, I mean, because I don't know if you're talking about hemp drive THC at this point or if he's in California doing this. Oh no, this is in Dallas. So it's hemp derived THC. Okay. Yeah. Anyway, so we reconnect and he has this idea. We're talking one week.

09:43He's like, I have an idea for a THC beverage. I was like, oh, that's cool. And I kind of forgot about it. We talked about it. And then life got busy. He has kids, I got kids. We didn't talk for a couple of months. And then probably around February of last year, we reconnect and he goes, hey bro, I started the THC infused mocktail company. I'm calling it Cali Sober. I was like, whoa, that was quick. Well done. Just make it happen. This is what I'm doing next. And the impetus for that was that Cali Sober is sort of a lifestyle choice that some people are choosing where they consume THC instead of alcohol. And so, and there was no trademark on Cali Sober. So he saw the opportunity there, did some really cool branding with a guy for this. It was like a 90s surfer kind of branding. Yeah, like we've got a whole 90s vibe that is actually really popular with some of the younger generation right now, but also my generation, probably yours as well too, because we're kind of close in age.

10:48Like that's nostalgia, right? Oh yeah. So like, I lived in Atlanta in the 90s. And so like Braves baseball was everything that I was all about. You know, like the Atlanta Olympics in 96. So there's so much nostalgia for my childhood. And so we really try to capture that voice with our social media and with our website. You know, like I say cowabunga in my emails, like it's ridiculous, you know? Anyway, so he started it. This is a long story. I joined him in May of last year when I started my own consulting business. He's like, I need distribution. I was like, well, I've got a sales background. Let me help you figure that out. So he hired my consulting business. I helped him find distribution in Tennessee, in Texas. Who are you distributed by here in Tennessee? Lipman Brothers. Okay, fantastic. And have a good relationship with them. In Texas, it's two smaller distributors that no one's really heard of, but they're good partners.

11:51Lipman seems to be a leader in THC infused beverages. They have a big portfolio. They have a big portfolio. You know, all the people that are out there, all the distributors, like they seem to have really understood it and leaned into it. Right, and you know, this is me guessing what their approach is, but I think their approach is let's gather as many as we can because we know that people want this and then let's see which one does well. You know, like it's not gonna hurt anything. And then the companies get to actually work to see who's actually gonna do well, who's gonna be, you know, in stores and stuff like that. So there's some interesting and actually fun co-opetition between some of the hemp brands in Tennessee. Like co-opetition. Co-opetition, yeah. So like that. So, you know, we get together once a month and you know, we talk about like, hey, what's working, what's not working? We're not tipping our hands, but like, we're really trying, because there aren't a lot of, you know, there's a lot of green space, a lot of open space for this.

12:53So we get together, we've only done it once, but we're, you know, trying to plan these kind of on a monthly basis. What's working? Tell me what's working. When you get together and you have this meeting, hey guys, what's working? What is one thing right now in your world that's working? That's a good question. Tastings are working for us. I mean, you know, for us, it's cans in hands. And so tastings are working. And then the other thing that's working, at least for me, is social media. So like LinkedIn, you know, chronicling how we're building the business, which feels kind of genuine to the way that, you know, we are as business partners. So that's also working as well, too. And then, you know, letting the brand speak for itself is really, that also works really well. And that's, I realize as a business owner that that is kind of unique, that you have a brand that people pick up and they're like, I wanna be a part of this.

13:59I'd say, I love the branding. Your branding is great. I love the pastels and the whole thing. It's great. What's not working? What's not working? What's your biggest pain point right now? Stigma? There's a little stigma that goes along with it. You know, this has happened a bunch of times, but if I'm doing a tasting, somebody, you know, I have an opening line. It's like, would you like to try a THC infused mocktail? And so people are there, they're walking and they don't make eye contact with me. But when I say that, they kind of turn around and like, what? Those exist? So what's not working? There isn't a lot of recognition that this even is a category that exists. So there is some education that we have to provide as well. And you don't want to be too early, like in the market as well too. So I feel like for us, and then some of these other THC brands right now, it's a good time. It doesn't feel too early.

14:59It doesn't feel quite too late. So when you're starting a business, you know, especially something like this, we could be way early. And then you have to really educate people a lot. But there's a lot of momentum right now behind kind of shifting away from alcohol and for health benefits. And so anyways, this is a good time to be in the THC infused mocktail business. I agree. There's a bunch of options and I love what you guys have. I think that it's interesting because people don't know what it does to you. So that sampling, getting cans in hands kind of a thing. When you drink one, I think that all the liquor stores now sell these things. You can go to permit any liquor store. You could pick up a can of this, but go home, get one, go home and drink a can and see how it makes you feel. Because I think there's a general perception. If I go to a bar, I can have a cocktail. If I go to a bar, I can drink a Jack and Coke.

15:59I know if I have a Jack and Coke, I know what it's gonna do to me. And I know I can drive home. If I have two Bud Lights, I can drive home. If I drink two glasses of wine, I can drive home. If I drink two of these, can I drive home? That's a really good question. I don't think anybody out there knows that answer. And then if I drink one of these and I get a little bit of like a five milligram THC kind of a buzz, and then I have two Jacks and Cakes, is it gonna multiply that effect? Short answer, yes. And well, am I now stuck? Do I have to Uber somewhere? Like, what's the deal? That's a good question. So I think there's a lot that, like you said, I think there's a lot of education. I think there's a lot of putting cans in people's hands and letting them try it. Because there's such an unknown factor. Yeah, I mean, there's a whole like on-premise discussion as well too, which at some point would love to talk more about that. But there is an education piece. And what I typically recommend, so people are like, my first question to somebody is like, are you familiar with THC products?

17:07And if they say yes, then we have a little bit of a different discussion. If they say no, then I'm like, I'm trying to give them comparables, right? So what I tell them to do is like, so it's five milligrams hemp-based THC, Delta-9, which means it's all natural. And so what I tell them is, hey, why don't you drink half a can and see how you feel? You know, wait 20 minutes. So this sets on in about 20 minutes, a little faster than an edible. And so another way that I helped is like, are you familiar with edibles? And everyone's like, yes, silly. I know what an edible is. And then I say, well, this is a drinkable. And they're like, oh, okay. I like that. So it's like, it's a getting a little bit of a category for people. Do you know what I mean? Like, let me put this can in your hand and then give you like a category that you're familiar with. You know, if I wanted to compare it to alcohol and they don't have any THC experience, I say a can would be like a beer and a half, maybe two, in terms of like effect on your body.

18:09Body buzz. Right, body buzz kind of thing. Right, I mean, obviously, the longer term effects of it are different. But like, if someone's looking for a frame of reference, which I've noticed that people are looking for frames of reference, so typically I'll give them that frame of reference. If they're familiar with THC products, you know, then I'll say, you know, hey, this sets on in about 20 minutes and you'll feel a nice little buzz. Well, I look at the, I mean, and there's two different kinds of sober. Yeah. Right, I mean, there's sober nothing whatsoever. Right. And then there's alcohol-free. And if you're alcohol-free and you are willing to, and if you're like, hey, look, I like to go out and I wanna have a drink, but I don't wanna, I'm not gonna drink alcohol, I think these would work really well in a glass. Yeah. Like, cause I'm looking at your three different cans here and the first one I'm looking at, and where is the name of this one? This is a Berry Ginger Fizz.

19:10Yeah. This Berry Ginger Fizz, a beautiful can, but I think this in a glass, with, you know, like a strawberry or raspberry, like a spear, and then you have a Paloma spritz, which means that would be really nice, like in a can or in a glass, then a ranch water. Yeah. Those are your three flavors. Do you have these, the only three flavors that you have? Yeah. And that's plenty. I'm not saying the only three, there's not another different line. No, there's not. So we started with Berry Ginger and we launched or flipped, had a first run of Berry Ginger made. I think he probably had maybe 10,000 cans made. I don't actually remember, excuse me. And we, so we put it in the market, in Dallas and in Nashville, just to get feedback. Well, it wasn't just to get feedback. We were also trying to kind of build a little bit of a momentum, but we got a lot of feedback and the feedback on the actual flavor was good. However, we had puree in there.

20:11And so when people poured into the glass, they were like, what the heck is this? Like, why is there stuff in the, like pure, what's this crap in the bottom of my glass? But you know, like Eric over at Frugal McDougal, he's like, I loved that. Like it was a true mocktail. Like you had actual ingredients that I could see in it. Yeah. But it was also a little bit overly carbonated as well too. So we reformulated the flavor profile is still there, but we took out the puree and reduced the carbonation and it's a little bit more accessible to everybody. And so that's what we tried to do with these three flavors was make them accessible. Like, oh, okay, you say Berry Ginger. Okay, I can figure out what that would taste like or Paloma spritz. Okay, I got it. I think I know what that would taste like. Ranch water is, you know, our take on a ranch water cocktail. Sure. And they're delicious. I've tried all of them. I have not tried the Berry Ginger Fizz. But you know what I love about these also, and this is something that I think the calories that you're gonna get in most alcoholic beverages are exorbitant.

21:16Beer, what you're gonna get, even if that's wine. In this 12 ounce can, you get five milligrams of Delta 9 THC, but there's only 20 calories. Yeah. I mean, 20 calories, that's less than a McUltra. Yeah. That's true. I mean, if you're thinking about, ooh, I'm gonna, if you wanna go out to a bar and you wanna hang out with friends and you're conscious of this thing and you don't wanna be, you don't wanna be hung over the next day. Right, yeah. I mean, if you're walking somewhere, you're Ubering or you're riding with somebody and you go to a bar, this is a fantastic option. It really is. And like, if you have four of them. They're crushable. You're gonna get a buzz, but you're not gonna like, if you drink four or five Jack Daniels, you're gonna, you could get blackout. You aren't gonna get blackout with these, right? Is that a thing? No, it's not. I mean, you're just, you might get incrementally higher. You're gonna. But you might get stoned. Right, yeah. But like, if you're riding with somebody or something, if you don't mix it with alcohol, I think this is something that you wake up the next morning, you don't feel like you've been hit by a truck.

22:17Exactly. Well, like, you know, alcohol crosses the blood brain barrier, right? THC does not. Really? Yeah. So, you still, for the most part, have most of your senses. Yes, you are high. But like, you know, the actual effect of this, compared to alcohol, I mean, alcohol, you know, as well too, can also enhance an experience. But like, my experience with Cali Sober and other, you know, THC infused beverages is that it makes me more present. I'm enjoying my, like, conversation with the person that I'm connecting with. Like, it has this effect of drawing people, drawing me towards people, you know, instead of like, you know, sort of numbing, cutting me off from other people. It can heighten your senses. Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you a story. I have this, I wanted to experiment with these. Because I'm really interested in the whole non-alcoholic world.

23:22And dry January's great, but what do you do after that? And I think this is a really big answer. The California Sober thing is a real deal for people who just are tired of the effects of alcohol, for whatever reason, right? So I had all the different reps. I said, send me all that you have. And I got all these different brands. Well, I was at my parents' house the other day for a football game, and I brought over a couple cans. And I said, Mom, I need you to do me a favor. She's like, what's this? I need you to drink this can. And you're gonna hear the rest of that story right after these words from our sponsors. At What Chefs Want, they deliver the seven most needed product lines to meet the unique needs of chefs and restaurateurs. From local to global, and from staple items to gourmet rarities, they have the variety of products to cover all of your needs. Produce, seafood, meats, gourmet, staples, to-go and dairy.

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26:26Or you can give Erin Mosso a call directly. Her number is 615-319-6453. That's Sharpier's Bakery. And I said, mom, I need you to do me a favor. She's like, what's this? I go, I need you to drink this can, five milligram can of, and it was Calexo, right? Delicious, Calexo is so good. It was so good. Yeah, so good. Is it the cucumber one, like the green can? It was the cucumber one that I gave her. Okay, so good. Yes, the cucumber citron is what it's called. Yep, yep. And so she's like, okay, so she put it like in a, and she's like, what is it? I go, it's a THC, and this is from their next door neighbors, son-in-law, owned Calexo. Oh, cool. So he was, so she knows him and she's like, well, I'll try his stuff. I saw the end there and I was like, she'll do it. She's never had THC before, ever. Oh, really? And so that's my fear is that if I serve this in my restaurants, I'm gonna have a Linda Still show up and go, oh, I'll try that, and then what is she gonna do?

27:33A 67 year old woman who's never had THC before trying something new in a restaurant for the first time. So I wanted to know, literally lab coat, I'm experimenting. On your mom. Your mom, oh, we're watching football. Here it is. Yeah, you're having a good time. So she puts it in a mule glass. She puts a little straw in it, she puts ice in it. I think mule would be a really good flavor. It'd be a really good flavor. Yes, totally. And so she drinks it and she's like, yeah, I don't feel anything. And I'm like, okay, just hang out. And we're watching football and we're hanging out. She goes, I think I feel something. And I said, oh yeah, what do you feel? And she's like, I feel like when I talk, my words are a little different. And I said, really, your words are a little different. She goes, yeah, I can just kind of feel it. And I was like, okay. And I didn't, I went back to the game and I'm not kidding, like two minutes later, I look over and she's like, she is out.

28:34She is asleep. That's funny. Head to the side. I took a picture of her. I have the same one of my dad. So I sent my dad a four pack or something like that. And so he goes, son, I wanna try these and see what it's like. And so I was like, okay, great. So I sent him some, same exact thing. My mom is like chronicling him consuming Cali Sober for the first time. The first picture she sent me, he's like passed out. Look at that. Let the record show I'm showing him the picture right now. Yeah, I mean, it's great. Look at that. That is sleeping like a baby. She looks so happy. She is. I think she enjoyed it. Yeah. But so while I tell you the story and it's funny and your dad, probably a similar thing. Exact same thing. This, I think is a fear if you're a restaurant owner or an operator that you're gonna put this product on your menu and then you can't control who has it.

29:37And you're like, hey, that's, oh, I'm fine. I got this. And I can't say you have to drink this or you can't drink that. And how do you manage it? And if somebody like my mom comes in and drinks one of these and goes, oh, that's delicious. I want to have another one. And then she passes out at the table. And now you're like, what do I, I got a woman passed out at the table who normally like there's no reason why, but I think it's a, I have to learn these things. I think so. Like there is definitely a learning curve that's gonna happen. And on premise, I feel like for us it's probably gonna be like a longer term goal, longer term play. We sell through Lippman Brothers, so we're in liquor stores. We also sell online. We sell to retailers as well too through a third party platform. But to your point, I wonder if like your mom and my dad having that experience of falling asleep is in the context of what they're doing. They're enjoying their time with family on the sofa versus at a bar.

30:40Lively, talking and conversation. I don't necessarily see somebody passing out like head on the table from having a THC infused mocktail, but- No, I'm with you on that 100%. Your environment definitely makes up. You're sitting on a couch with a blanket around you. It's easy to close your eyes and lay back. And my mom listens to the show and I love you, mom. You're the best. Thank you for doing that for me. Yeah, Brandon's mom, you seem so nice. I saw your picture. It looked like you were passed out in such a good way. My mom, I love her so much and she's so special. But the fact that she would even do that for me, like, yeah, I've never had THC in my life, but if you wanna try it, if you wanna test out, I'm here to help you. I mean, what a mom thing to do. She's game, she's awesome. She's the best. My dad is Cali Sober's biggest advocate in North Carolina. My dad's been in sales for years and years and he calls me up. He's like, all right, let's talk about this. I was like, okay, cool. And he asked me every single question.

31:41He's like, how long does it take to set in? What's the calorie count? What's the sugar count? And he's out there just talking to his friends about it. My dad is, and both my mom and my dad are unbelievably supportive of this. They didn't consume, they haven't consumed THC since the 70s, maybe. It's a lot different now. It's a lot different now. And they've just been unbelievably supportive. So I'm really thankful for that. Oh, I wanted to get back to telling you about launching the business at some point. Do it, let's go. So anyways, so Flip, Flip is my business partner. He lives in Dallas. So Cali Sober has launched in Nashville. We launched in Nashville, December 1. And then we started, we launched in- 23? 23, yeah. Okay. So really, really- You're like two months in. Two months in, yeah. Okay, wow. He like officially started the business on 4.20 of 23. Naturally. Naturally, yeah. So anyways, so he started the business.

32:42I helped him find distribution in Texas and Tennessee. I invested and came on as a partner late in the fall of last year. Just because I saw the hand that he was holding with this and I enjoyed and just felt like we had something special in the way that we work together. So anyways, launched in Dallas in December. We launched, sorry, we launched in Nashville in December, Dallas in January. And we're looking at launching in Austin on 4.20. I think that'd be a great market for you. Yeah, I think so too. Definitely. How's it going in Nashville? You know, I think, and this is what I hear from the other people that are also selling THC beverages that sell through right now, meaning like, you know, a store or a market orders cans, sell through is a little slow. I mean, the snow that we just had is making, it's picking it up a little bit, but sell through is a little bit slow.

33:43And it was one of the reasons why we wanted all to all get together, you know, all of us are distributed through Lippman Brothers. And so we're just trying to figure out how can we, what's the phrase where, you know, rising tides, levels all ships or something like, how can we like do that together? We kind of build an alliance together because education, getting cans in hands, I think the more, and this is what I told Ken, Ken Peltier from Calexo, that I told him, I said, this is the next thing, but everybody has to try it. Everybody has to know what one can does to them. And then once they have one can at 10 separate occasions, then they can go, oh, I know exactly how I'm gonna feel. And it's not like, and if it's all similar, it's all similar THC that's derived from health and it's not an Indica, Sativa hybrid, if it's all the same kind of high, because there are different kinds of high cannabis, then I think people can start going, oh, I can do too.

34:44Or if you're a regular smoker, if you smoke weed, or if you take edibles or whatever, if you're consuming cannabis, this is nothing. I mean, this is nothing compared to what, it's not like smoking a joint. It's not like take, it's a five milligrams of Delta-9. It's, there is a head change, but it is not like, you're not getting high. It's like you're smoking a joint and being like, whoa, I'm high. Like this is a very slow, gradual kind of a feeling that is, it's just different. I think, so I think that's the thing. That's the thing that has to happen, is we just gotta educate, let everybody know, let everybody try it. I think so, you know, and like, when you start drinking as well too, you're learning what alcohol does to you, right? And so, you know, in a similar vein, people are going to start learning, okay, this is what a THC infused mocktail or a THC beverage does to me, and just getting more reps with that. So that, you're right. That's how you educate people.

35:45So I think I personally see this as the future. Yeah, say more about that. Well, no, I mean, I think that the alcohol movement, I think alcohol, not that it's had its day, alcohol is never going anywhere, but I think more and more people are recognizing that alcohol is poison. Yeah. And that when I ingest this, I turn into, there's a physical change in my brain that happens. And when I'm not able to have cognitive reasoning and I start doing things that aren't me, and I'm ingesting poison to do this, like a lot of, there's a time you experiment with that, but I think there's a lot of people out there who are just tired of the effects of alcohol. They're tired of feeling hungover. They're tired of the expense of it. They're tired of all the bullshit. And they're like, hey, this is a really neat option. And I don't think it's going anywhere. I think as more people, that's why I'm so interested in it because I have a Mexican restaurant that's right next to a university.

36:49And it's 21 plus, but nevertheless, I think that's a real option. I think a lot of kids today, because THC is legal in so many states, and we have people moving here from California, where that's just a, what do you mean you can't get THC? That's what I like. California's sober being, I do THC, but no alcohol. I just think it's, I think it's what's next. I don't think it's, unless the laws change, I don't think it's going anywhere. I think it's only gonna expand. And I think you're in the space at the right time. And I think that- Well, thank you. Well, no, I mean, I think it's what's next. And I love what you guys are doing. And I think it's promoting something that isn't alcohol. Right, and drinking culture is mostly surrounded, it's around alcohol. And so Flip, he and I were talking, or he posted something on LinkedIn. He goes, basically, I'm loving reconnecting with my college roommate and disrupting drinking culture at the same time.

37:54And so, you're not gonna get blackout from something like this and do or say something that you don't remember or is not you as a person. My experience with the THC beverages is it almost enhances who I am as a person. Maybe I tell you that I love you. Like, we're not gonna get in a fight. So anyways, I just, my experience with it, going full Cali sober myself as well, too, has been nothing but positive. So you don't drink alcohol? No. Nice. I don't. I like alcohol. I think alcohol is great. I enjoy the flavor and I love a good bourbon. I love a Manhattan, stuff like that. But I, kind of for health reasons a little bit, but also I don't like how I feel if I've had too many drinks. I just don't like the feeling of it. I don't like how I feel the next morning. Oftentimes, there's a little bit of shame involved waking up next morning.

38:56You're like, oh, damn it. What the fuck did I do? You know? Did I really say that to that person? Right, and then you gotta call someone and be like, hey, man, I was kind of, I was a little buzzed. I was drunk last night when I said that. I haven't done that in over four years. Heck yeah. Had to make that phone call. That's awesome. But here's the other part of this, too, and this is, you know, I talk about alcohol as a poison and all these things. I also have no problem with alcohol. Yeah. Like, alcohol is not the enemy. I agree. The problem is binge drinking and using alcohol as a crutch instead of feeling emotions. Right. We use alcohol as a escape or we're prescribing it to ourselves as a medicine because we are not happy with something in our lives. I think then it becomes dangerous. Yeah. But I think that if you enjoy a glass of Cabernet with your dinner. Yeah.

39:56Well, hell yeah, man. I mean, it makes the steak taste so much better. Totally. I love wine, man. Wine is so amazing. A really good tequila. Oh, yeah. Like a good margarita at a Mexican restaurant. Oh my God. Chips and salsa with a margarita. Yes. Is one of God's gifts to this world. Yeah. My problem is I can't do that. Right. I have to have seven margaritas. Right. And almost kill myself. Like that's a me thing. Yeah. And I have to recognize that. You know. It's not for everybody, you know. It's almost, I have a lot of thoughts on kind of drinking culture in general. Like it's kind of a learned behavior a little bit. And then it's also alcohol is addictive. Like, you know, your body craves it if you drink it a lot. And that's just kind of biology, you know. You know what drives me the most crazy? What? Is the culture of like mom juice. Okay. Have you seen on Instagram, like all these moms drinking wine?

40:59Oh, no. Oh, it's a whole mommy juice. Mommy drinks her wine out of a Stanley cup and all these. There's all this drinking, you know, mommy's drinking, mommy's doing this. And it's like, it's just, I think that's toxic. You know, I do too. And I mean, like overall for drinking, this is just sort of a mantra that's helped me like say no to it. It's like, it works until it doesn't. Yeah. Right. That's 100%. It works until it doesn't. And then you're like, this isn't working for me anymore. What other options do I have? And so we're trying to introduce another option as well too. And you know, like I was actually talking to someone the other day about this, who does all of our content. So if you follow Cali Sober, which if you do, go to getcalisober.com, cali sober drink on Instagram. It's the same one TikTok too. Anyways, our content guy was asking about like, are you concerned about big brother alcohol?

42:02And I was like, that's an interesting question. He goes, do you see yourself as y'all or this category as a threat? And I said, I don't. My hope is that we can show big alcohol. Like, hey, I think there's a different way. Like people like to enjoy, you guys have created these amazing flavors. Like, I think there's a different way. Like they're gonna keep pushing, kind of going down the same route. And my hope is that at least with Cali Sober, we can show them like, hey, there may be a different way. Maybe non-alcoholic is a way to go. Maybe THC is a way to go. Maybe you guys can add a few skews. Like, so people are still going and buying your product. So that's my hope with it, is that it's showing them a different way. Well, I love it. I think that your products are really cool. I love what you guys are doing. Lipman Brothers is who you would contact. If you're out there now, if, let's just say I'm listening to this and I'm a restaurant owner. And I go, well, this is really interesting conversation. I'd like to meet Michael. I would love for him to come in to my restaurant and bring me a sample of this because I like to try it.

43:06I'd like to have a conversation like I'm having with you right now, but let's bring in three cans. Let's pour it in a glass. Let's look at it. Let's taste it. If I'm a restaurant owner, I may wanna drink one of these and see how I feel to see if it's something that I wanna serve my guests. How would I do that? Man, there's a great way to do that. You can give me a call, one, or you can send me an email, michael at getcalisober.com. What's your phone number? 980-297-6481. There you go. That's your cell number? That's my cell. Shoot me a text. You can talk to Michael whatever you want. That is how easy this is, guys. I didn't know if it was appropriate to give my number out on a podcast, but. Sure, why not? Yeah, I don't see why not. So, yeah, shoot me a. If you want people to call you. Yeah, please call me. I love it when I get calls or someone reaches out and they're interested in just kind of learning more about the possible benefits of this. So, 980-297-6481, or email michael at getcalisober.com. Would love to bring you some samples and just come in.

44:08I'm passionate about this discussion and would love to talk to you about it. Hear what you think as well, too. I'm still gathering information. Like, I don't have something I'm trying to push on people. Like, I'd love to work together to figure out what actually works. Yeah. 100%. Well, man, anything else you want to say? The last thing we do on the show is, and this will be, it's kind of a quick episode, impromptu episode. I know, yeah, it's fun. But last thing we do on the show is we ask our guests to do the Gordon Food Service final thought. Oh. So, this is a final thought. Whatever you want to say, the mic is yours. You get to take us out of the show. Oh, wow, okay. So, you know, you could talk about whatever you want. It does not matter. Go. It's on you. Okay. Go. I mean, the first thing that comes to mind for me is the, you know, it works until it doesn't. And I think that applies to drinking culture in general, but it also applies in a lot of other areas of life as well, too.

45:12You know, like, the way that you're interacting with your kids. Like, man, this worked for a little while. It doesn't work anymore. And so, I'm really passionate about finding what does work. So, I think that requires doing a little bit of internal reflection as well. So, yeah, and then the same thing with drinking culture as well, too. It's, you know, this has worked for a long time. It's starting to not work for a lot of people. And so, we want to be a part of the discussion of what is going to work going forward and how can we help other people enhance their lives, enhance their experience. I mean, our mission is good vibes for better lives. You know, so that's what we're here for. Final thought. Good vibes for better lives. Yep. I love it, dude. Thank you so much, Michael Dean, for joining us here on Nashville Restaurant Radio. Thank you, Brandon. Michael Dean, thank you so much for joining us here on Nashville Restaurant Radio.

46:14I'd love to know your thoughts on this. What are your thoughts on cannabis? I'm gonna put a poll out tomorrow or today. This is on Monday. We're gonna put a poll out. And I wanna ask you if it's something that you've tried, if you'd like to try, if you think that you wanna start serving it to your guests. I wanna get your thoughts. If you have other thoughts on this, please feel free to post it. Send me a DM. I wanna know. Or send me an email, brandonatnashvillerestaurantradio.com. That works. Hey, last thing. I know that we're getting into 2024 and if you are looking to expand your business, you're doing well and there's an opportunity out there and you wanna open something new, I wanna tell you about Chandler James Retail Team at Lee & Associates. Miller Chandler and Leanne James are really crushing it. They're located downtown right in the Batman building. They're serving all of Middle Tennessee. Both Miller and Leanne are Tennessee natives. Let me tell you guys, Chandler James can help you find and negotiate terms on your next restaurant location.

47:17They represent both retail tenants and landlords in the market and they can also help you with lease versus buy decisions and act as your leasing agents should you ever decide to go all in and purchase the commercial real estate. So they're commercial real estate brokers here in Tennessee and if you wanna expand, you wanna know what's out there, they're the ones you need to talk to. These are the professionals who work in this line. These are the brokers who are making it happen out there. So if you want to do that, please give them a call and if you wanna give them a call, you can call their office, 615-751-2340 or if you're just curious, you wanna shoot over an email, it's mchandler, M-C-H-A-N-D-L-E-R at lee-associates.com or check them out at leeandassociates.com. Hope you guys have a wonderful week ahead of you and I hope that you're being safe. Love you guys, bye. Thank you.