The Ketchup Thyme Podcast Alyssa McDonald

Hey guys, welcome back to the show! Today is a very special episode with my friend, Angel Hepp. As Mother’s Day is around the corner, it seems fitting to have Angel on the show, an extraordinary woman and mother who I worked with years ago at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. Almost 10 years ago, it was my first role in the Events Industry as the Event Concierge. She was at the time, the Catering Sales Manager, which is the very same position I have today. 

In the first half of the conversation, we talk about her wide ranging career in the events industry, hearing how planned her own birthday parties as a young girl, to being a part of the team that plans The Superbowl. She learned that sometimes in order to get your foot in the door with a company or with a project, you have to sometimes take a step back, which is exactly what she has done time and time again. 

As it goes, she was a part of mothers groups at her church, and it was then that she realized how all of us mothers are going through our own struggles and yet, from the outside, it seemed like everyone had it together. She wanted to create a safe space for moms to gather together in an authentic way so they can be the mom they are without the pressure to be the mom they 'should' be.” And so, in 2019, she created The Sister Joist, an online community to serve as an authentic, judge-free community for moms to feel less alone. The truth is - we're all going through hard things at any given point, we just need a safe space to share those struggles so we can be seen, heard, and encouraged. And that's where The Sister Joist started.  

Connect with Angel and join The Sister Joist community @TheSisterJoist on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Download the Mighty Networks app to enjoy distraction free content (listen to the show for more details on this!) 

Wishing all my fellow mamas out there, a happy happy Mother’s Day. Please enjoy this episode with my friend, Angel Hepp.

Connect on: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSisterJoist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheSisterJoist
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TheSisterJoist

Alright alright, pull it together, this is going to be a serious episode. We’re taking a look into a rather taboo subject today, and peeking behind the curtain to see what its all about. I’m talking of course, about cannabis. 

You know - marijuana, weed, pot, grass… you know what I’m talking about. And for some reason, its always been a topic that you just don’t bring up in everyday conversation with coworkers, family members, or new friends. If you want to know if someone smokes pot, you don’t just out right ask them. You have to dance around the subject until you can kind of gague whether or not they’re into it. 

But it doesn’t have to be like that. For many parts of the country where its legal, this is just any other industry, any other job, just normal every day people working at a 9-5.

According to my friends over at Wikipedia.... As of 2021, 17 states have legalized recreational use of cannabis, and 36 states have legalized medical use of cannabis. (We’re including Washington DC in these numbers too)

And that brings me to my guest on the show today, my friend Brett Frizzell. Brett and I met through his wife when her and I worked together at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. 

Brett is a Sales Executive for Dabs Labs and Goldrush Colorado.  He sells his cannabis products to dispensaries, who then sell it to consumers like you and me. Brett is knee deep in the industry and as he puts it, it runs in his blood. No really - his mom and dad met when his mom was buying weed from his dad in the 80s. He is well versed on the topic, and has spoken at major conferences on the subject. In this episode, we hear how cannabis has played a role in his life and how he’s become an advocate for full plant, free market. 

You can find Brett on Instagram @frizz303 and check out what his company is working on - @dabslabscolorado and @goldrushcolorado. 

This is a really interesting conversation and I find it just super fascinating the history and politics that surround this plant. I hope you learn something and realize that there are 2 sides to every story. With that, please enjoy this conversation with my friend Brett Frizzell. 

(stats above found @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_the_United_States)

The first doctor on the show, oh my! One of my childhood friends makes an appearance for our 20 year middle school reunion. And how very perfect for this to be episode 20. Its like I planned it! ;-)

On today’s episode of the Ketchup Thyme Podcast, Dr. Andrew Ramjit and I have a legit “ketch-up thyme” - get it? :) We haven’t spoken in exactly 20 years - since 8th grade at Westpine Middle, and yet, we have somehow stayed in touch over all these years through Facebook and mutual friends.

In any case, getting to sit down and chat with an old friend was good fun. I have the sweetest memories of us in school, and I remember him being a genuinely nice guy. He hasn’t changed a bit, and is now a total family man. He has a beautiful wife and 3 children, and a career that keeps on growing. I’d say he has done pretty well for himself. We chat about his career in education, and how it's been impacted over the last year or so -- between his quarantine time at home with his 3 kids, to going back to in-person schooling… it's been an interesting ride for sure. 

Andrew is the Assistant Director of Student Activities in Brevard County, and what continuously shines through in our conversation is his love of education. He has his Doctorate in Education, and continues to pursue other degrees to help further his career. He is currently back in school to get his Masters in Sports Administration, all while continuing to take his job to the next level, and I can tell after speaking with him, that the sky is the limit. 

These days, you can find Andrew playing with his 3 children, on a football field, or in the classroom shaping young minds. You can also connect on LinkedIn at Dr. Andrew Ramjit, or by email at andrewramjit@gmail.com.

So, please enjoy this ketchup thyme episode with my friend, Dr. Andrew Ramjit. 

Connect with Dr. Andrew Ramjit:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewramjit/
Email: andrewramjit@gmail.com

Episode 019: Dave Turner lives for travel and can’t wait to get back to exploring the world. He takes us along for the ride and we hear how his hobbies of videography and hiking with his dog Kobe turned into a series of children's books, as well as a YouTube and Instagram channel that feature all of their adventures.

You can find Dave on Instagram:
@KobieDogUSA
@DogDadDave   
  
DogDadDave YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSTvf-Q-63rfGqIaco5hKg
 
Personal YouTube (travel montages): 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgI6tlrsRUwC0mNQAYUav5w

Purchase Kobie Dog USA Books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Dave-Turner/e/B086V5N34P?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1617408292&sr=8-2
 
Amazon Self-Publishing:
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/

On today’s show we’re hanging with Dave Turner who is a good friend from my Ritz-Carlton, Denver days. I have just about the best memories of working there, and a lot of that was because of the amazing people I worked with. You’ve already met Danny Diaz and Dawaun Butterfield who were on the show earlier this year, and they’re pretty awesome too. But today, we’re catching up with Dave to hear all about his year and how COVID affected his job in the event industry. 

Dave is the Director of Event Technology at one of the biggest AV companies in the world. His career has taken him across the country working at some of the biggest convention hotels in Las Vegas, Denver, and California. He currently works at a luxury resort in Scottsdale Arizona, where he has been working throughout this entire pandemic. He shares how it’s been working as the only full time employee in the AV department, and how they have had to consistently make adjustments to their operation. He explains how they started doing more community driven COVID-safe events, like when they repurposed their huge blow up screen from movie nights at the pool. They basically turned their parking lot into a drive-in movie theatre for the community - how awesome is that!! He even figured out how to use a FM transmitter to broadcast the movie’s audio over the radio waves so people could listen in their own cars… Talk about pivoting and adjusting your business to fit the current needs. Amazing. 

Dave is also very creatively talented and started his own Youtube and instagram channels that feature him and his dog Kobie as they take on adventures and hikes all over the country. He even published his own children’s books featuring Kobie in a series called “Kobie Dog USA”. Right now, he’s got 3 out - Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, with Rhode Island coming out next… so what, only 46 more to go? He’s got this! 

Also, just a heads up - if you hear some funky audio and internet connectivity issues, you need not worry - that was on our end, not on yours. No need to adjust your speakers :) It is actually kind of hysterical to me, now in retrospect, that we’d be having these issues when talking to a mega techie AV guy. Why didn’t we do a check check, mic check 1 2, 1 2 3?!?? That would have saved us a lot of hassle.

But don’t let that stop you from listening to the whole thing. This guy is super witty and kept me laughing through the whole conversation. 

You can find Dave and Kobie’s adventures on Instagram @KobieDogUSA and 
@DogDadDave, as well as his YouTube channels which I’ll link in the show notes. I’ll also share the Amazon link for Dave’s children’s stories if you were interested in purchasing a book. 

So - other than dealing with a few technical difficulties, please enjoy this fun conversation with my friend, Dave Turner.

On today’s show, we’re hanging out with a very special guest, my aunt Rona. We talk about the importance of family, and the 3 B’s - that is, Babies, Bubbie’s, and Baking, among many other things. This episode is even more extra special because it’s #18, which in Judaism is a lucky number. 

Even more special, is that I’m recording this on the Monday after Passover 2021. It is the second year in a row that my mom’s side of the family hasn’t gotten together for the biggest holiday of our year, Passover. Most families consider Christmas or Thanksgiving as the biggest celebration of the year. But in our family, there’s no doubt, its Passover hands down.

It’s like the funnest weekend ever, just a big family reunion. We cook, we drink lots of sangria, play card games, eat, watch the kids play, drink, eat some more…. did I mention we like to cook and eat? 

Last year, our plans for Passover were cancelled because of the COVID19 pandemic, and this year, in 2021, our plans were cancelled before they were even made. But next year, in the land of Jerusalem, as it is said. Until then, this conversation will have to do. 

So… about Rona. She has a true love in life for food, family, and all things delicious. When we were little kids, I remember being told that she was dropped in a bucket of oil because everything just slides right off her. Now, mind you, in my little kid mind, I literally thought for years, why did they have a bucket of oil in the delivery room?? Like seriously?…. But I digress…

She is someone I’ve looked up to and admired for as long as I can remember. Through all of life’s challenges, she keeps going, keeps living, keeps loving, and believes wholeheartedly that things will get better. And they always do. 

In this chat, we talk about her food businesses, from running a gourmet bakery out of her house, where she produced and delivered gourmet desserts to a dozen restaurants… to eventually owning a quaint little restaurant called Thyme Square with her husband, Steve. We talk about babies and the importance of family, and how wonderful it will be to all be together again.  

So, let’s get into it shall we? Please enjoy this conversation about family, food, babies, and much much more 😉 Love you Ro Ro!

Episode 017: Shaterika Alexander will put your mind at ease about flying in this COVID world. A flight attendant for Delta Airlines, she has seen how air travel has changed and shares her experiences flying the friendly skies during the pandemic.  

Board a plane and you might meet our next guest, Shaterika Alexander. Her and I used to work together at the Marriott before she became a flight attendant working for Delta Airlines a few years ago. Being a flight attendant is about as exciting as you’d imagine. She describes hopping from country to country as if it were as easy as getting on and off a city bus. Most of us could never imagine flying as a career, which is why I was so intrigued to talk to her about her job and how air travel has been affected this year. 

If you’ve listened before, you should know by now that I am a self-proclaimed worry wart. Let me tell you that after speaking to her, after asking my million and one questions, my mind has been put to ease about flying again in the not-so-distant future. And I hope she puts your mind at ease, as well.

She shares some real life tips on traveling with children and gives us a peek what adjustments they have made to their operation. She also shares what to expect if you were to fly again one day soon. 

The other thing I want to highlight is Shaterika’s relationship with Delta Airlines, which started way back in her childhood. Her dad was in the military and her family flew all over the world - always flying with Delta. As she remembers it, they took such wonderful care of her and her family each and every time they flew on their airplanes. Its worth pointing out how a company made her feel, for when she was deciding on what airline to work for, as an adult, the only choice in her mind was Delta. I can’t help but admire the way that stood out in her mind as not only a company that takes care of its customers, but also, their employees. Let that sink in, all you entrepreneurs out there! You take care of your employees, who take care of your customers, who one day become your employee. And the cycle continues! 

You can find Shaterika flying on Delta Airlines and posting about her fabulous adventures on instagram @ _travelwithshae. Who knows, you may run into her the next time you fly on Delta.

Connect with Shaterika: 
Instagram @_travelwithshae
Clubhouse: @shaebuttababy
Originally recorded… 03.15.2021