 And welcome to another episode of Adventures in Commercialization. This week we're going to have some food for thought. We know that the schedule of an entrepreneur or just starting a business can be very chaotic. So we have a last-minute edition here, a really close friend of mine. After going down my Rolodex and thinking about what are my friends doing, like who's doing something new, Marianne popped into mind. So welcome, Marianne Bible with Gettysome. Hello. So Marianne and I have actually known each other for about seven years now. When I first moved to Washington, I was taking up a new opportunity. I was trying to get to know the city a little bit. And so I actually took a job working for Kirby vacuums, selling vacuums. And Marianne and I were on a team together for a short period of time. So tell us, Marianne, since Kirby, what have you been doing? Since Kirby, I was stuck at home during COVID. I decided, you know, what am I going to do with my future? And food has always been my passion. I fell on hard times. I had a friend reach out to me and he was like, hey, I think becoming a chef would be great for you. So I went and worked at a kitchen and I was like, you know what? I should have been doing this a long time ago. And so during that time, I started using hashtag ghetto food network on Facebook. And ever since then, food has been my passion. Marianne definitely was the one taking us to find great little spots when we were on our lunch breaks. So I could see how that would definitely turn into a career for you. So we went from a hashtag to a business now. So just hashtag ghetto food network, posting the food you were eating, places you were going and then that just caught, you know, contraction. That's how it worked. So what happened was I was making top ramen with shrimp, eggs, just anything that you can think of with the word ghetto in it. I was eating it and I was posting it. People loved it. We were laughing, having a good time. And I went to a party called Day Fade at LTD Bar and Grill, hosted by Alphabet Vodka. And the owner of LTD was opening up a restaurant called Season Seattle. And he heard that I was posting restaurant reviews. He invited me to come do a review for their soft opening. After their soft opening, I made an official ghetto food network Facebook. And after that, I posted their review and it just caught traction, a lot of traction. And I blew up and I was able to quit my nine to five. I started doing caterings, restaurant reviews, community outreach programs with cozy connections, martial law band. I do a lot of community outreach with them. But anything food related, I'm in there. So somebody just saw you were doing reviews. On Facebook, you created a Facebook. Or do you do any other sort of marketing or is really Facebook the only place you're using your hashtags? I would say as of right now, Facebook is probably my main source of marketing. On July 8th, I will be having my first booth at it's called. It's at LTD Bar and Grill, where I'm going to be having a booth and I'm going to be promoting ghetto food network using stickers, sweatshirts, giving out free food, things like that. OK, so kind of just a word of mouth. This is all word of mouth from the audience. OK, that's great. Well, we are promoting you. Ghetto Food Network has been all over Facebook. I've been seeing it everywhere. So that again, why Marion popped up into my mind. I just wanted to hear a little bit more about what he had been doing. We were just giggling a few minutes ago about how one times in COVID like this overlying theme throughout a lot of our shows here and a lot of the episodes is just this. We came in a time where we had a little bit more time for ourselves. And what did we want to do with that? How did we want to turn our passions into actual projects and projects and the careers? So it's really awesome to see that you're doing that now. Thank you. So we did a couple of reviews and then now we're catering. So yeah, of like, are you going into other places to do catering out of their back house? Or do you have like your own mobile catering or how does this working? So as of right now, I just have people inviting me to do catering out wherever they want. Like on Friday, I'm doing a catering on a yacht for a commercial boat company. I have a there's a group of people called Furries. They want me to do a dog themed catering for them. I'm barbecuing at a wedding. So anywhere you need me, I'm there. OK, and I do have a really close friend who did a catering business. Moveable feast will probably see him on the show a little bit later. But again, he he used to have so much stuff with him. So to do catering example, he was like running out of a massive shop. Like how how do you make like a mentor type thing? I would say I do most of my cooking at home or I have a buddy who has a huge innovative kitchen. I get to go over there and use his kitchen out in Kirkland. So, you know, we're just wherever we can fit in, we get in. Awesome. So resourceful, which is a great another another amazing skill that you have, ma'am. Thank you. So how many people would you say make up? Ghetto Food Network right now, do you have staff or is it just you and then people who help volunteer? So right now I just reach out to friends that I know that can do the job that I need done. I would say there's about 15 core people in the ghetto Food Network that I can rely on. I can call any time I have a head chef and myself. So yeah. Perfect. And so what kind of roadblocks have you faced thus far? Thus far, some roadblocks. I would have to say delegating my time towards the different projects that I have. Like as of right now, I'm working on a 26 acre project. We're calling it the Oasis. It's essentially a wonderland in the middle of Snohomish. We're going to be doing events there like concerts. We're going to be having a haunted Halloween forest. We can do four wheeling, paintballing or a hosting Afro Man show coming up here soon. So I would say just delegating would probably be my biggest hurdle. That is always very hard. I remember becoming a manager and you're like, you know, delegating to other people when you know that I'm doing it or when you're doing it, you know, it's getting done, right? But other people and hoping for some good quality. But you can only spread yourself so thin and you have to healthy and afloat so that you can manage the business to a great success. Yeah, definitely. What kind of goals do you have coming up, though? What kind of next milestones do you see? The next milestone. Well, we have a we converted a bus into a food truck. So launching that is my biggest goal as of right now. We have an Afro Man show coming up. Getting that taken off is another big, another big goal of mine. I would say just expansion, just really getting people involved in ghetto food network being acclimated with the community in Seattle because I'm a North End person. My company's been North End based. So just getting acclimated with Seattle is probably my biggest goal right now. And so for our audience, North End in Seattle is a little bit more, let's say, rural. It's up north past the bridge up in Snohomish areas. Yeah, it's very close to Seattle, so we're only about 30 to 40 minutes outside of Seattle, but the atmosphere is quite different. It's not the hustle and bustle city, but there are a lot of events to take place. So just so everybody understood a little bit of the lay of the land on that one. But and going into a city mode, I mean, what does that entail? So we're talking about like traffic, so different times and getting used to that and getting all set up. That still is a problem even after COVID. I can't believe I love the energy in Seattle, though. I really feed off of everybody so friendly and positive and family oriented and willing to help out. It's really nice down there. I love it. And so, OK, so we were talking about skills that we've had that brought us to the people that we are today. Yeah, letting people know sitting at home that if you think that your past job is being a barista at Starbucks doesn't have skills that you can use today, you are too surely mistaken. And that is definitely wrong. So we were just joking to right before the show is about Kirby and what did Kirby teach us? So we basically knocked on doors, showed you a product and then, you know, trying to show you how it could be useful within your home. We it seems a little sales, you know, sales is always one great skill, a hard skill to learn, definitely. But some of the things that what are some of the other things that we've taken out of some of those jobs? I feel like everybody has a story. You can really connect with everybody and anybody, whether it be through food, laughter, trauma. You can connect with anybody. And I think that's something that I learned. Everyone is human. So that's that made it a lot easier to grow to get a food network. I can talk to any type of person. That's really what I took away from Kirby. That is true. And I think what do we say earlier? Just holding a room or being able to hold a space. And that's something that is so important, especially when you're looking for funding or pitching your ideas to different people is like to be able to and have a common conversation with somebody and really get to know them. A lot of these investors are not investing into a company just for the company. They're investing in a human. It's a human contract. It's a human relationship. It is really if that person doesn't you don't feel their passion and drive towards that project. Then it's like who I would I want to put my money into that. Yeah, definitely feel like you have a passion for food. Do we have a specific type of food that we go for? We said ghetto food, but like that. Yeah, what is what's going to be on your food truck? For example, on the food truck, I'm still working on that menu. But I would say my favorite type of food is Italian food. 100 percent. Who doesn't love pasta? Yes. Yes. You have to have a gluten free option there. Don't forget about the chef. Yes. Zucchini pasta all day. Oh, yeah, some zoodles. But those on the menu will take them. Yes, chef. Cool. So you're spreading yourself a little bit then when it just comes to like, let's say catering and and food truck and this Oasis project, do you have an assistant or we just go? You know, how do you manage that? So I'm doing interviews this weekend for an assistant. I definitely need one. Are you looking for another job? I am not. But if anybody's out there, Mary is a great person to work for. He was the manager team. I curbie, he will make sure your belly is full so that you're happy at work. I will make sure of that. Thank you. So are you hiring for any other positions or looking for any other support or just a knowledge base that maybe you're potentially lacking in that you would look for support out there from? I would say I'm always looking for anybody to join the team. I always I always have caterings. I always have other restaurants. Every restaurant that I work with has reached out to me in the last two weeks saying, hey, can you help me find staff for my restaurant? So I'm always posting on Facebook, anybody who needs a job, great pay, great environment. If I don't stand behind them, I won't post about them. So yeah, that's great. Networking and it sounds like that is the core value of what you've created here. But going from just a simple hashtag to, you know, a full time business. But marketing word of mouth, having the right people in your corner, as you just mentioned, is, you know, gouging for people, you know, and for you, that's that's a little risky is telling a business that you can put somebody in there and that they're going to be a great worker and show up on time and and do their part and be a working person for them. So that's so great. Yeah. And so you were doing a couple of things in Vegas. Is that true? So you're not you're not just based out of Seattle, Washington, but you're changing out into other markets. Yes, two months ago, I officially launched GFN Vegas. I can't talk too much about that right now, but we have some big things coming up in Vegas. OK, very cool. Any chance to go to Hawaii? I know people here if I want to know. You know, I've been invited to Hawaii twice now. So I'm thinking that Hawaii might have to be on the list as well. Yeah, definitely a destination place. And I think it's a great place for food and the food in Hawaii. I do know another entrepreneur or at least a young man who went to Hawaii and he found this like coconut grove and he brought it coconut. It's now in Arizona, my grandfather's favorite restaurant. And it still has like that like Kiki bar kind of atmosphere. I love that. It's in the middle of the desert with the best mahi mahi, I do have to admit. What's the name of it? It's called coconut, coconut grove. Coconut. Yeah, if you're ever in Phoenix, definitely look them up. I think they have a couple locations now, but it is based out of a just shack in Hawaii that somebody knows. So hopefully our audience knows or at least those there. So OK, well, what kind of advice do you have for other entrepreneurs? Like, have you faced anything in, you know, right now we have as a young, you know, black entrepreneur as well? Have you faced anything specifically that you could give advice for some of our other entrepreneurs out there? Yeah, 100 percent. I would say the biggest advice I could give is don't listen to other people when they say that it can't be done, especially from somebody who hasn't tried to do it. Every single person that I've talked to when I first started the ghetto food network told me to get a regular nine to five to stick with the regular nine to five. And I really believed in myself and this is where I got. Is there ever like a connotation with the word ghetto in in? Yes, I would say a lot of people pre-judge what the ghetto food network is and does just because it says ghetto in it. But once I show them what I have done, they start to change their view on the ghetto food network. But I I choose to stick with the name ghetto because it reminds me and everybody else where I started, what the ghetto food network was and where it's at today and where it's going to be. So turning top ramen to fancy ramen. I love it. Yes, chef. Got to get innovative with it. Yes, chef. So you said Italian food. So we're thinking pasta. Yes, pasta always. Have you ever said no to pasta? I'm a gluten intolerant. I should say no to pasta more, but I could admit I had pasta for dinner last night. I love it. I love it. I can make a mean carbonara. So I'll send you a recipe. OK. OK, yeah, so OK, what is it entailed to do a food truck? Because that's something that a lot of people were looking at. I'm seeing a lot of converted bands popping up here. Like, is it do you? Why are you not? Why are you choosing that versus an actual real estate? I mean, you're you're also doing the oasis. So if that may mean that don't project on its own. But what why would you go into food trucks? So honestly, the food trucks started off as a coffee stand, and then they wanted to add the food part of it. And it kind of just fell into my lap. And so I didn't start out with the idea my partners did. And I'm just here with the food guru knowledge. Perfect. So it's kind of like a cross collab between two different. But who wouldn't want to eat food out of bus converted into a restaurant or a food truck? So it's not like eat on the truck. It's still like no. OK, correct. OK. Very cool. Well, that I don't know how that works. But could you like travel to different states with that? You could. Yes. Yeah, we can take it to events. We can take it across the country if we wanted to. It's a moving bus. It's a fully functional bus. And then what type of permits are you looking at right now? So you have food, food permits, probably one for your catering. You're your own LLC right now. Yes, I am ghetto, funeral LLC. So the food truck is not under me. I didn't have to get any permits. I just take care of the food park. Perfect. And the and the promoting of it. Do you have a liquor license as well? I do not. The property does. Perfect. So you're going to be like a full all in one. Well, you'll have to let us know how that transcribes. So yeah, it just this property fell into my lap about three weeks ago. So we've just been talking about what we're going to be doing on the property and getting that going. So we're trying to get a soft opening going around the beginning of August. Just have bonfires, have some live DJs going and have the food truck going. So again, just getting the word out there. I think that that sounds like your home marketing plan. All here is just like any way that you can from a hashtag to a bonfire. Like, let's get the word out about what we're doing here. Correct. And then. So do you have ambassadors or other promoters or is it just kind of like, again, you're you're small, what did you say, 10 to 12 people that are really involved in? Yeah, so I have about 15 people that just deal with the ghetto food network. My biggest partner would have to be global productions run by Patrick Gonzalez. We are arm in arm in every single situation that we run into. So I would say without global productions, there probably wouldn't be ghetto food network to this magnitude. You know, he does all of the shows. So the concerts, the community outreach programs, he's the one that invited global that invited ghetto food network initially to all of these events. And so now we've teamed up and we got Afro Man to come out to Seattle and we're going to be throwing a really big show out of Roy Borealos and Shoreline. Oh, all right, very nice. So Washington then I will have to let everybody know about that. Yeah. So if we could take a look one more time at the Facebook page a little bit here. So this is going to be the logo to look out for hopefully soon coming to Hawaii or somewhere near you or if you hear about it, go ahead and add them on Facebook. Yeah, Marin has just been doing so well. I'm so excited to see this. Look at the food that comes out of here. Got a little bit of character. So I'm I would say the ghetto food network is an empire of love, food, opportunity and everything in between. I'm really big on supporting everybody's mental health. I as a child dealt with my mental health and I believe everybody should go to therapy or get some sort of help in some way when one way or another. So starting in October, I'm going to start doing POSIT therapy nights. So I'm going to allow everybody wants a week to come out, eat some pasta, sit in a circle, talk about your problems, don't talk about your problems just somewhere where you can feel loved and not judged and enjoy some pasta. It's always great and filling. So you did talk a little bit about a foundation type thing that you're going to be doing out of Oasis. Can you tell us a little bit more about, you know, what what triggered that and what that looks like? What foundation are you talking about? Oh, so you mentioned like that you were just going to that you were working on some, let's say, nonprofit project or? Yes, I can't comment on that yet. OK, all right, well soon to come then. Yes, ma'am. So you're working on a couple of projects that are, you know, back to the community. Yes. When did you feel like it was a good time to like just take this on as your full time career? I felt like it was a good time to take it on when I was working at a job. I was at a sales job and I just finished training and they said, how much are you worth an hour? And everybody's saying 20, 30. And I'm like, I'm worth at least $300 an hour. And one day I was on the phone, I get a text. Somebody wanted to offer me, you know, $3,000 to do a catering. And so I was like, you know what? I'm losing out on money if I don't take this catering. So I decided to quit my job then and took this catering on July 22nd. I will be getting paid $300 to barbecue at a wedding. So I think that that was probably the best decision I ever made in my entire life. And I do have to admit with you, this resonates with me quite close because that is also how I got to where I was. I was in a position working as a personal assistant. I think that people were being underpaid at the work, the place that we were working. They tried to lower my pay to put me in a different position. And I didn't think that those people should even be working for that low. I thought that they deserved more. And so I did walk out. I did tell them, you know, I think that everybody here deserves more. The the manager was not nice to the employees, but also was really getting rich off of off of the hard work that their employees were doing. I was over at the company, which was just a reflection of the management that is definitely a sign of management when it comes to high turnover. So keep an eye out for that. If you're interviewing with somebody at a job and they've been there for 20 years, it's probably a good place to work. That's one of the benefits of if they have families, you know, that you know that their families are being taken care of. And, you know, COVID really was a time where we had to tell ourselves that we needed some mental health. We needed to take a step back from our nine to five and figure out what hobbies do we have? What are we doing as passion projects that make us happy? And then finding a way to monetize that. That's really the biggest thing that we can take out of it. I agree. Her figure out what your extra time, get some extra time for yourself, I guess is my key point here. Once you have the time for yourself, figure out what hobby you want to place into it. And then once you're having a lot of fun doing it, then figure out how it's going to, you know, give you a little bit of income or return. And or when people see you out in society, like people have seen Marin just having fun, eating some good food, posting his food, having a great time with it, then turn it into a catering or reviews for companies. So definitely when people see that you're having fun and you're happy and passionate about something, again, that's what they're going to invest in. Definitely. Best way to come out of it. And your advice for other entrepreneurs is just never let anybody tell you that you cannot do it. 100 percent, because you can. Yep. And when they tell you, you know, your worth, what they tell me, $18 an hour and you you know your worth, you know that the skills you have from Kirby selling vacuums can turn you into somebody with an aura about them that can walk into a room and tell them about Get A Food Network and sell them on that as well. I don't think people will be told, but if they don't, if it's good pasta, I don't think anybody needs to sell anybody on that. No, the food does it itself. And you do, Marin, it's been really great seeing your journey and seeing your success and seeing the hashtags blow up on my Facebook. So I'm excited to see where things go. I would love to see more of this Oasis project and the little hints of, you know, your nonprofit in Vegas and Hawaii. Like I'm excited to maybe potentially bring you on the show again later. And I would love to where you progress here because I know it's going to happen so fast. It all has been happening very, very fast. This all happened within the last year. So. Yep, back up. But keep it. Keep it easy. Yeah, it's not too thin if I had any advice for you because I burned myself out at a couple of jobs. And now finding some work, life balance, finding a great team, networking and letting the brand speak for itself is really what's already brought you success. So just run on that as well. 100 percent. I appreciate it. Well, I think that's all for today. Thank you so much for joining us again. Congratulations on all your success. Thank you. We all shout there. Keep an eye on Marin Bible. He will be out there. Get a food network. Hashtag to have some fun ramen that you're creating at home. I'm sure he'd love to see it. Get it. I would love it. Also, if there's any assistance out there, are you looking only virtual or are you looking at? Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter. Oh, I can take all the help I can get. Well, if you guys have any ideas or just want to say hi, Marin is always there as a great friend, a great entrepreneur and a student to have like this amazing brand and company. So we'll see how it goes. Yes, thank you guys so much. Yeah, so join us again every other Wednesday for adventures in commercialization. If you'd like to learn a little bit more about becoming an entrepreneur, turning your passion projects into your careers and how to make money. Mahalo.