I am Consciously Curious
I am Consciously Curious is a Chicago based podcast that dissects passionate individuals in various industries. The goal is to share their stories to inspire you to cultivate meaning within your own space. If you are interested in coming on or know someone that would be great for the podcast, please message us on fb/ig: @iamconsciouslycurious
Episodes
160 episodes
159. More Than Michelin Stars ft. Simon Davies
Our next guest traded eleven years at three Michelin-starred Alinea for something money can't buy: balance, agency, and intimacy. Simon Davies discovered this new path immediately after leaving Chicago's temple of molecular gastronomy as Execut...
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1:47:15
158. Balanced Hospitality ft. Stevan Miller
Our next guest is the Beverage Director at Esmé. He’s inquisitive, playful, and balanced. We reflect on his journey through hospitality from the earlier days at Burger King and Starbucks to earning his stripes at the now closed Claudia and even...
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1:40:29
157. Increasing Access to High Quality Oysters ft. Motorshucker
Our next guests are the partners of Motorshucker. A mobile oyster bar that currently pops up at places like Queen Mary Tavern, Easy Does It, and Bisous. You’ve seen photos and maybe even tried some of their seafood towers, crab rolls, or motorm...
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2:10:00
156. Modern Korean Supper Club, Haru Haru ft. Junho Lee
Our next guest is intuitive and ambitious. He hosts a modern Korean supper club experience called Haru Haru which means “day by day." The intimate nature of pop ups and private dinners allow him to hold space and tell stories that complement hi...
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1:24:22
155. Effortlessly Intentional Menswear ft. Jabari Sandifer
Our next guest is introspective and level-headed. He’s had an interest in men’s fashion and styling from an early age. He was on a successful path in collegiate basketball, but an ACL tear led him to reevaluate other interests. These days, he c...
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1:12:32
154. Living Your Truth and Radical Traceability ft. Annie Xiang [Volition Tea]
Our next guest is tenacious and thoughtful. She’s a mother of two boys and the Founder/Owner of Volition Tea. A specialty tea company that highlights single origin organic teas primarily from China. She’s double downed on the importance of trac...
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1:43:45
153. From Flunking 6th Grade to Cultivating a Thriving Coffee Community ft. Raoul Adwan [Thrd. Coffee Co.]
Our next guest is gentle, thoughtful, and courageous. He’s the owner of Thrd. Coffee Co. which is a coffee concierge service as well as a cafe in Bucktown. Despite a rough upbringing with school and family, he had a wake up call in his second a...
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2:27:35
152. Unifying Indian Culture With Beer ft. Bhavik Modi of Azadi Brewing
Our next guest is insatiably curious, hyper-focused, and charismatic. I got the sense that he’s always all in on the task at hand. That being said, he’s balancing a family, a full-time job as Chief Innovation Officer/Senior Partner at Cultivate...
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1:18:09
151. Finding Peace Through Acceptance with Visual Artist Katie Chung
Our next guest is Katie Chung. A visual artist based in Chicago. I was introduced to her work through her mural for Good Things Vending with Steph Krim! I then found out she's created pieces for Facebook, Google, Adobe, 360 Chicago at the Hanco...
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1:32:12
150. The Mischievous Child ft. Chef Mitchell Acuña
Our next guest is the Executive Chef of the new modern french restaurant Gavroche. He fell in love with cooking at an early age mainly from a functional aspect. He's an alum of Kendall College and has gained experience in kitchens like Alinea, ...
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1:58:13
149. Resilience Through Grief ft. Bernie Ambubuyog
Our next guest is Bernie Ambubuyog. A single mom, entrepreneur, and a MMA practitioner and color commentator. We reflect on her journey into MMA which was through her late husband Paul. She shares how the MMA community has become her second fam...
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1:40:08
[Takeover] Healing Ancestral Trauma with Jenn Dieas ft. Dr. Jon Mackoff
Jenn Dieas hosts Dr. Jon Mackoff in this podcast takeover. This is the third overall time these two have met and they're both great at holding space for self-inquiry. Some themes that they covered include the lack of safety Jenn experienced as ...
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1:19:49
148. Recruiting for Tech Giants like Uber and Netflix ft. Jeff Vadukumcherry
Our next guest is Jeff Vadukumcherry. Despite falling into tech recruiting, he's developed a mastery and fondness of facilitating "good fits." He reflects on how he and his now wife encouraged he each other to follow their dreams even if it mea...
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1:52:46
147. New Math Coffee ft. Mikey Rinaldo
Our next guest is Mikey Rinaldo (they/them) and they're the roaster/founder of New Math Coffee highlighting specialty Asian coffees. Mikey found coffee as an escape while pursuing their PhD in literature. There's this beauty in the ephemeral na...
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1:09:08
146. The Filipino-Cuban One-Two Punch ft. Lawrence Letrero
Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Bayan Ko and Bayan Ko Diner in Ravenswood, Chicago. The diner space was home to Glenn’s Diner for 17 years and now serves Cuban and Filipino staples all day. The OG location a couple doors east is now ...
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1:43:53
145. The Power of Asking: Chef Zubair Mohajir’s Recipe for Success
Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Lilac Tiger, Coach House, and Mirra. He reflects on his journey of stumbling into the world of finance only to be liberated by the 2008 Market Crash which sparked his curiosity into the world of food a...
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2:13:00
144. Tea Practitioner and Ceramic Artist ft. Danielle Chutinthranond
Our next guest is the artist behind Monsoon Pottery. Quality time with her family has her reflecting on life and what she wants to get out of it. I appreciate how singular she is with everything she takes on. From her daily tea practice, insati...
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1:38:14
143. Moderating the r/chicagofood subreddit ft. Mitch Gropman
Our next guest is one of the moderators of the r/chicagofood subreddit. He shares why and how he started to moderate it. He’s made lists to organize his favorite chicken sandwiches, fries, and omakase restaurants. He’s currently organizing his ...
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1:16:22
142. Community-driven Joy and Serendipity in Vending Machines ft. Steph Krim [Good Things Vending]
Our next guest is the Founder and Keeper of Good Things Vending. She places local art and oddities in vending machines and places them in some of the most iconic places in the city. You can find some of her machines in places like The Chicago C...
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2:39:36
141. Reclaiming Agency as a Hospitality Vet ft. David Mor
Our next guest is a hospitality veteran and has helped open spaces like Truce, Lilac Tiger, Coach House, and Mirra. I was first introduced to David through Justin of Kyoto Black Coffee when they put on a coffee cocktail pop up at Cindy’s Roofto...
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1:49:27
140. How Desert Trees Are Becoming The Next Chocolate ft. Mez Foods
Our next guests are brothers and founders of an alternative chocolate brand, Mez Foods. But the implications of how revolutionary mesquite is makes this a very exciting time for these two. Their challenge is to introduce a product that is more ...
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1:56:23
139. Private Dining Experiences ft. Chef Francis Pascal
Our next guest is the Owner and Executive Chef of Vendador, a private dining company that imports an entire fine dining ecosystem into clients' homes. He shares how hungry he was to collect culinary experiences at a young age that eventually la...
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1:58:32
138. Tech Recruiting, Furikake Chex Mix, and Musubis ft. Julius Tacadena
Our next guest has been a tech recruiter for over 10 years and how he became one is a funny story. Last year he started a chex mix based snack brand that’s typically seen in Hawaiian households. The three flavors they have are The OG (Furikake)...
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1:46:13
137. Fatherhood, Dinner Parties, and Influencer Marketing ft. Amin Tomalieh
Amin returns to reflect on life and how his side hustle of operating “Chicago Food Guide” has grown over the last year. From adding on team team members to CFG, new collaborations with athletes, and providing new services like influencer market...
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1:27:30