balanced_tray_ep_3_-_changing_the_image_of_school_lunch_rfs (540p) ===

[00:00:00] Well, I think one of the biggest misconceptions is the fact that kids aren't just eating cardboard. Like, there are trending meals available in schools. And I'll never forget, so someone on my team, so she's new to the industry. Um, he was like, yeah, like I don't feed my kids or I don't send my kids to school to buy lunch at school because the food is gross.

And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. I was like, that is not true. I was like, let me educate you.

What's up, man? How are you doing today? I am doing fantastic, Wes. Thank you so much for having me on the podcast. I feel like this has been a long time coming for us to either be on each other's podcast somehow, but you beat me to the punch and here I am on your, on your show and I'm super excited about it.

Yeah, I was thinking about that earlier and um, I think we originally tried to do this back [00:01:00] in like 2020 and then schedules didn't align and then you guys got busy and have just been blowing up over the past couple of years and just doing awesome work and the child nutrition and restaurant space and we got busy as well and so yeah this has been a long time in the making.

Yeah, I was gonna say, don't put the blame on me because I know you guys are blowing up to you guys got really busy as well. So it's, uh, I think we're both responsible for these horrible schedules that we have and for having to wait so long to make this magical moment finally come to life. I mean, being busy is a blessing, especially these days.

So, I mean, you know, I have, I'm not complaining. I know you guys aren't either. And I know you guys are actually working on some big projects, which is one of the big reasons why I wanted to kind of, you know, bring this conversation back to life. Because. I'm super excited about some of the things that you guys have been working on and that you guys have coming down the pipes here in the next couple of months.

And I really wanted to talk to you today a little bit more on this new initiative that you guys are working on to really kind of rebrand child nutrition because [00:02:00] I mean, I think that a I love this industry. And when I say that, I genuinely mean that this is the only industry. A lot of people don't know this about me, but this is the only industry that I have ever really worked in.

And I got involved in this industry when I was like 11 years old. And it was, you know, I kind of got indoctrinated into the industry because my dad's been in it my entire life as I had a company since, uh, you know, I mean, I was a kid. Yeah. 67 years old. Uh, and so I mean, I've gone to child nutrition, uh, conferences and SNA events for forever.

And so I really don't know much outside of school nutrition. So, you know, hearing some of the things that you're working on right now are super exciting to me, and I'd love to know a little bit more about kind of what you guys have, you know, coming down the lines in the next couple of months. Yeah, well, I mean, first off, I have to say that you're kind of an outlier, man, because most people, they don't have the opportunity to grow up in this industry.

Like you did like this industry is, is known to a lot of people as like the country's best kept secret. Because once [00:03:00] you finally do find the school nutrition and you, you, you fall into it, you don't want to leave. Like you're stuck. Because I don't think. There is another group of professionals out there that are more loving and caring and passionate in those in school nutrition.

And that's why people like, they, they find it and they say it and they don't go anywhere else. Right. Yeah. No, I mean, it's, it's, it's a hundred percent true. I mean, everyone in this industry is like one big family. And I mean, once you get into it, you really feel that like family vibe, like everyone knows each other.

You go to conferences, you get to know each other's personal lives. I mean, you know, that just makes it. A special industry. I mean, you all kind of feel like you're working towards the same cause. And you are. It's all, you know, an effort to, you know, feed the next generation of kids. Exactly. We are investing in our futures, and that's kind of how we got to the this is school meals campaign that we just started.

So for us, it's really more than a campaign. It's almost like it is a movement because so many people out there have the wrong impression [00:04:00] of what it looks like within School nutrition. And when I, and it was funny. So when I first heard the term or heard the concept of controlling a narrative to change the perception of school meals, it was about four years ago before I actually like started the company.

And I was kind of tiptoeing around seeing if I wanted to actually get into marketing and advertising. You know, I come from an IT background working in the school district. So marketing and branding and all that wasn't. First nature to me, or so I thought. Um, but I was visiting with Greenville County schools back in the day.

I reached out to Joe Urban. I had no idea who he was. And I was like, Hey, I've been hearing all these things about you good and bad, but I want to base my opinion of you off of me meeting you, not other people. So I went out there, he was, he. Opened his doors, right, welcomed me in and as you were talking, I was like, all right, this guy's kind of the real deal, like he's no joke, um, and [00:05:00] one of the things that solidified that for me was the fact that his team loved him, like absolutely loved him.

And as you were talking about his program and how he does what he does and why he does it. Um, he was like, we need to control the perception of school meals and we need to post pictures and videos of more kids eating healthy, delicious meals. And I was like, Oh, like, that's cool. And like four years later, just kind of like kept growing and growing and growing to the point to where when I was at A and C this past year, I was like, all right, it's time to actually be intentional about changing the perception of school meals.

Because for so for the past four years, I've been doing it. But not like focusing on it, and then now we're truly focusing on it. So, after A& C, we put together a, uh, quick like intro video of why we needed to do this. So, it pretty much opens up with me sitting in an orange room because, you know, everything, you know, has to be [00:06:00] orange.

I did my little intro. Um, let me show a quick highlight reel. And the reason why I did that, like I haven't actually broken this down for anybody yet publicly, but the reason why I set it up the way that I did is because, uh, I guess you can say I am, what's the word I'm looking for? Uh, gosh, people A lot of people will sometimes get the wrong impression.

I'm polarizing, right? So, uh, I would say influential people tend to normally be polarizing. And one of the ways I guess I am polarizing is some people that don't know me think that like we do all this flashy things and it's really about us. That's not about them, which absolutely isn't the case. First and foremost, I do things for my God.

Um, so it's never for me, it's always for him and for other people, cause I love to serve. So I was strategic in the way I set up this video where it starts off and it's lots of about next gen network and the room is [00:07:00] orange, this and that, but then I snap my finger and that's when I say, but it's not about me, it's about you.

Right. And then the room changes to black and then we give our, like our spiel. On why we need to rebrand school meals and how important school meals is to how we all need to do this together. Like not one person, not one organization, alliance, association, school district, manufacturer can do it on their own.

Like we had to come together and do it as a team. So yeah, we're going to attempt to rebrand school meals. And what we're doing is working with a bunch of industry members to create some really cool content. Cause we love to create content. And working with some school districts as well. And then sharing all the content to really educate the masses, like everybody across the country, because a lot of them don't know that.

School meals. They not not only are they delicious, but they're healthy, too, and, uh, every kid out there should be eating lunch in there or breakfast, lunch and supper if they can within their schools. [00:08:00] Absolutely. You know, I mean, it's interesting hearing you talk about that. And, you know, I'd love to hear your thought on this.

What do you think one of the biggest misconceptions is that people have about school meals? Because you know, you're talking about, you know, kind of changing that perception of school meals. What's one of the biggest misconceptions that you see in going to schools, talking with parents, um, that, you know, you feel is in need of changing?

Well, I think one of the biggest misconceptions is the fact that kids aren't just eating cardboard. Like, there are trending Meals available in schools and I'll never forget. So someone on my team, so if she's new to the industry, um, he was like, yeah, like I don't feed my kids or I don't send my kids to school to buy lunch at school because the food is gross.

And I was like, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. I was like, that is not true. I was like, let me educate you. Um, and she [00:09:00] just flat out didn't know. Like, cause all she heard was what her kids would say or what you would see on the internet. So I actually took her to a local school here, um, at the district I used to work at.

And blew her mind. She had no idea that the dining spaces were as beautiful as they are in the food tasted as good as it did. Like I tell people all the time, like I've gone to school districts and I've had a better meal in that district than I had at the restaurant the night before. Like, it's crazy.

Yeah. I mean, I was going to say like, but I do understand that there are some districts out there that either don't know they can do these things or. Think that it's impossible or this haven't even thought of these, these new, you know, trending recipes or whatever it is. And I want us to be a company that, that is inspiring others to really step it up.

Like we can all do a little bit more and may not be, you know, smoking brisket or whatever they were doing at Greenville, but you can [00:10:00] do something to get to the next level and I want to inspire people to do that, um, through edutainment. You know, I know you travel all over the country and you work with school districts to really help them with showcasing some of the awesome products that they're making.

I'm just curious. I mean, if you were stranded on a desert island and you could pick one school meal that you've had in the past year, what would that school meal look like? And where was that meal from? Oh man. All right. So it's going to have to be Aaron Smith in Seattle public schools. And the meal that I talk about, um, that I think about whenever I say like, it was better than when I had a restaurant the day before.

It was at his district and I don't know how this man does it like he is his team is Small but mighty. I mean like think only has five people in his district office and they're a giant urban school district Right, but the last time I was there I had a, it was like a cold chicken [00:11:00] curry dish, like salad, and it blew my mind.

Like it was delicious. So that, that was really good. But like, if I'm thinking about, uh, something newer, um, when I was at ANC, we filmed a From the Show Floor episode with International Food Solutions, and they have a new Indian line coming out called, I think it's Ahar. Ahar. And then like that, that was really, really good.

I can't wait to see some schools start menuing this item because I mean, it's, it's on trend too. And if you're thinking about the guidelines and all that, that are getting passed on from the USDA, like IFS or international food solutions has exceeded those guidelines and created something delicious because now they're, they're working or focusing more on ethnic foods, which may have, uh, Transcribed More like spices and herbs and stuff like that, but less sodium.

And when I ate that, I think it was like chicken and taro masala, or I forgot what it was, but it was delicious. Absolutely delicious. [00:12:00] So what do you think one of the biggest hurdles is for districts that are maybe listening to this and hearing some of these different items and they're like, wow, that does sound good, but we could never do that in our district.

What do you think one of the reasons is for that? I mean, is it just not knowing that those products are out there or, I mean, how do we fix that issue? I think a part of it is not knowing the products are out there, but then I feel like, um, There are, there's a decent amount of people like in our space that are just so used to doing things a certain way or they put themselves in a box like they think they can't do it or they're not good enough to do or they don't have the money to do it.

So they don't really explore. Um, but the ones that do eventually explore figure out like oh my gosh like there is a way for me to do this like there's no reason why I can't serve these serve these dishes in my, my program. We'll figure it out. So what do you, and with this new initiative that you guys are working on, what are maybe like a one two punch that you can see that you're trying to do with districts to really help them [00:13:00] explore different products, uh, understand that different things are out there, and really kind of focus on the rebranding of their nutrition department to really showcase the awesome work that they are doing, uh, to help change school meals.

Yeah, so we've actually already started. So it's interesting when I first launched the company, we we focus on just supporting school districts like I didn't even talk to industry members. But then when the pandemic hit in 2019 I was like oh gosh I got to find a way to feed my family I'm offering districts free services now because that's what they need.

Um, and I started working more with industry members, but now it's time to go back because I feel like districts are stabilizing and a lot of them are starting to understand the value of advertising and marketing and branding and those sorts of things because they truly do compete with the restaurants down the street.

And I want to equip them to compete with those restaurants because they have to feed more kids. They do feed more, more mouths at any restaurant in their community and they have to do it more efficiently too. Right. [00:14:00] So, um, we are now once again offering, uh, uh, advertising, marketing and branding services.

So the same way that we could potentially be a marketing agency for a major manufacturer. We can do that for a school district too. So we're actually working with, um, one school, school district in particular now that I can talk about and we help them with social media. Like not only do we provide them with strategy, but we help them with content.

Like we're going to their district and we're filming videos. We just filmed two videos for a school district talking about their, um, their meal program and information on that, how to take part in it. And then a, this was kind of fun. So we had, I think it was like six kids, uh, participate. And we did like a Mythbuster episode with the kids on their school meals program.

So we're doing stuff like that. Um, and really just training and educating because there's a lot of things that That we can do, that we can teach them to do so they can do it on their own. But then there's some things that, you know, we [00:15:00] just helped them out with because they're not walking around with cinema grade cameras that can produce high quality video.

But, um, one thing I will say is we do try and stay away from like template based, uh, creative because every district across the country is so different. They're all different, right? Yeah. And we, I mean, I have a full design team. So if you need a logo design or whatever is designed that can go on a, a wrap on a truck or make, you know, clings or even simple things like, like digital media, um, that's what we do.

So we do everything from A to Z for districts right now. And really it's all about educating them. and helping them, empowering them to meet the students where they're at. So they want to participate. So when you are talking to districts and let's say there's a district, let's say there's a small rural district that wants to do something to kind of start now.

Maybe it's, you know, starting a social media channel or [00:16:00] maybe taking better pictures. What kind of tips do you have for districts that want Um, you know, maybe just like an easy kind of starter tool kit. Let's let's call it a beginner kit to kind of rebranding their school nutrition department. What's what's the first thing?

Second thing that a school district should really focus on to help them change that image in their district and in their community. Oh man, so that's, that's a tricky question because in a perfect world, I would say create your own social media platform. Like you should have your own Instagram, you should have your own Facebook, you should be on X, you should, you should have Snapchat and Twitter and all the things.

Fortunately, a lot of districts don't allow school nutrition programs to have their own brand or their own voice, which drives me crazy because you were thinking about the makeup of a district. There are only two, two verticals in the district that are profit generating for an afterschool care. and [00:17:00] food nutrition services.

And FNS is literally like a restaurant brand. They should have their own voice. So if you're able to do that, I would say, you know what, create your own social media accounts. If you can't do that, work with communications, make some friends, create a champion and empower them to start sharing content for you.

Um, so there's that. And then just content. Like if you're building a brand, you're building trust and you got to create like, like to urban said back in the day. Take pictures of smiling kids eating healthy and delicious foods, um, start telling stories, be authentic, um, and I think something that a lot of districts may not do enough of is, like, really, like, truly being authentic and showing stuff, like, behind the scenes footage, like, hey, like, we're making lunch today, like, let's, let's, let's watch that video and let's take the pictures and have the conversations that a lot of districts are afraid to have, like, I love it when.

I see or I hear of [00:18:00] a problem parents calling into the district complaining about a school meal that their kid told them about, but they're completely wrong because, you know, kids are, they have imagination and I love it. I love it when those parents become champions and I want to see more people telling that story because that's truly changing the perception like the parent thought this one thing, but it wasn't the case in the district brought them in to educate them and now they're a raving fan.

I want to see more stories like that out there because they're everywhere. You know, it's it's interesting site. You know, I don't I'm not a big social media person, and I know there's probably a lot of people out there that, you know, love social media. There's a lot that probably hate social media. But I think that what you're talking about is 100 percent accurate.

I mean, social media is one of those necessary evils in today's world just because there's so many people on it, and there's so many parents on it. There's so many students on it. And I mean, connecting on that media. I don't know another way. A better way rather to connect with it. community and really show [00:19:00] them and explain to them what it is that you're doing in your child nutrition department.

But I see so many people that take pictures and post them and There's no pride in the picture. It seems like there's no thought on what the story is like. You're talking about that. They're explaining there's, there's really, it's just, you know, they take a picture and they post it and then I see this and I'm like, is that really what you're trying to showcase though?

Because I'm not sure that this is the image that you're trying to get across. So my question to you, I know that you've got a design team. You've got a lot of experience with really helping districts with branding and marketing. What's maybe a suggestion that you have on. Really telling that story, you know, whether it be taking an image from a different angle, whether it be, you know, coming up with a creative post, are there any tools that you've found that a district can tap into that make that a little bit easier?

Cause you might have directors that say, well, you know what? I'm just not a storyteller. I'm just not good with picture tasting, taking, I hate social media. I never [00:20:00] take pictures and post them myself. So, you know, I'm doing the best that I can. What's maybe like An easy one to kind of thing that a district can do to really kind of kick start their storytelling journey and maybe just take better pictures.

Well, if we're talking pictures, um, something that's really simple is getting a light box, right? So back in the day, I used to teach a class at different, uh, state conferences on food photography. And it's really not that difficult. I mean, just have decent lighting. Lighting is so important, whether you're filming a video or taking photos or whatever.

And if you can put a decent light on your subject, the pictures are going to look like at least a minimum of like 30, 40 percent better, right? Um, but then like you want to take certain pictures a certain way, like top down shots are great for some things, but maybe an angle shot is great for some other, other types of food.

And you really want to, so kids eat with their eyes, right? So take a picture of something that looks [00:21:00] delicious and then promote it on social media or on your newsletter, like whatever it is, and talk about not only like what the item is, but. the fact that it tastes good and how it's going to benefit the student as well, right?

So it's not, I don't think it's that difficult to tell a story or to take a good picture as long as you're intentional about it, right? And I know with national school, like breakfast week and lunch week and stuff, like take a photo of breakfast or lunch and then promote that and tell the story about how important that meal is.

Yeah. For a student to have so they can be fueled throughout the entire day. So they can learn and get better grades and so on. Yeah. I mean, I, I, I never honestly even thought about the light box. Um, that, that's, that's a great tip for, for people to, you know, really kind of improve those pictures and lighting is so important.

It really is crazy. Um, I mean, I remember I was looking back on some of the podcasts that, you know, we did back in the day and I mean, they were just horrible, horrible, horrible audios, terrible videos, terrible. It's grainy. And I'm [00:22:00] like, I look back on that and I'm like, we need to remove these. Like, they're just not what they're, they're not the image that I think that we are trying to convey to school nutrition departments and we can do so much better.

Um, and, and lighting is just one of those little things that, you know, you don't really think about, but it really does make all the difference in the world. Yeah. But at the same time though, like I had the same thought, cause whenever we first started our podcast, like it was just audio only. And then it was, so we were talking about like tech off camera earlier, right?

So we started out doing audio only, and I was just using, uh, two basic mics plugged into my laptop. And that's how we started to launch our first series. And then from then on, I was like, all right, I want to set that up. I want to get a cool looking microphone, like something like this, right? And I, uh, I want to get a soundboard.

So I did that upgraded to that. And then I was like, all right, well, what's next? So at that point, we upgraded to like 1080 P live cameras. And that was cool. Film a couple of [00:23:00] episodes. And I was like, all right, this is, this is neat, but like, what's next? So we upgraded to GoPro 4K cameras. And then that lasted for like.

maybe one or two episodes. And then I was like, well, what's next? This is in a matter of like a year and a half, maybe two years. And then we got, uh, DSLR cameras that we used to use to film our first taste TV episodes and all that stuff back in the day. And that was cool. Then I was like, well, what's next?

I'm like, I'm ridiculous. So then we ended up getting a cinema grade cameras that we film our podcast on and everything else now was cinema grade lenses and like all this high tech equipment. And the podcast was supposed to be something I can do by myself. And I kind of do do it by myself most of the time, but like, it's just cool looking back where we started to where we are now.

and seeing the growth and the evolution, right? Because back then, whenever we were doing the podcast the way that we were, like, that was the best that I could do. And I did everything that I [00:24:00] could, right? Just like some school districts, like, just start small. Like, do what you can, and then you'll find a way.

Like, once you master that, you can go to the next level. And that's kind of what I did. So, although looking back at, like, all of my old podcasts, or even just listening to them, because I couldn't even watch them, I didn't want to take them all down because it's just cool to show the growth of the business and of the industry and just our desire and ability to serve others.

But I get what you're saying, really get it. And it's also, it's so interesting seeing how technology has changed because I mean, if you rewind, you know, five, 10 years ago, the quality of the video from just an iPhone or a cell phone was nowhere close to what it is now. But I mean, pretty much everyone out there, as long as you've got a phone that was made within the last like five.

Five years. I mean, you've got a built in cinematography and photo generation tool right in your pocket for most folks. And I think that a lot of people are just hesitant to really tap into the technology that's so easily [00:25:00] accessible to them and then add some little things like a light box to really kind of improve those photos and those videos.

But I mean, I think we've all really got the tools to get started. But you know, I think it's that I think that that hesitation, I don't want to call it fear because I don't really think it's fear. I think it's more just, you know, uh, maybe a hesitation because you don't want to invest time into it and then take time away from other things.

So, you know, people don't even get started. But I think just, you know, really, you know, understand I was talking to Tara Westerkamp. Um, who you and I both know, you know, a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about, you know, the, you know, kind of the theme of, you know, little hinges swing big doors and it's the little things that we do.

The little steps that we take to improve our department to improve our company, to improve our staff, our families. But those little things make huge impacts. When you look back over the course of 5 10 years, they build up and it may look like this just giant task in the future. Like, Oh, well, You know, I need to change the image of my school nutrition department.

I want to [00:26:00] rebrand my company and it's like how daunting of a task that is. But when you just break it down and you do one thing today and then tomorrow you do one more small thing. Um, yeah, I was sitting at the, um, I went this past weekend to the school Nutrition Association in Arizona. Um, and Fred Schaefer, who is a director up in northern California, he was the keynote speaker for the event.

And, you know, he talked about, you know, really kind of changing your your wellness, you know, plan for for the year. And, you know, how everyone makes excuses about how they can't get healthy, how they can't get fit. And he was like, It's very simple. And he referenced a book called The Compound Effect by a really amazing person who I've actually had the pleasure of meet, uh, of meeting a couple of times.

His name's Darren Hardy. Um, if you haven't read The Compound Effect, it's an awesome, awesome book. Highly encourage it. Uh, but in that book, it talks about exactly that philosophy of, you know, picking one thing today. And, and Fred made, made this comment of, you know, start off with, on Monday, do one set of squats and then take Tuesday off.

And then [00:27:00] on Wednesday, he said, do two squats. And then take thursday off. And then on friday do three squats and just build up over time. But it's the little, it's, it's making that commitment that we're going to change X and then making small baby steps towards that goal. And over the course of time, you look back and you say, wow, look at everything that I've accomplished over that period of time.

Yeah, that kind of reminds me of one of the first lessons, um, I was taught when I took this role was make, take small steps in the right direction and eventually you will get to where you want to go. Believe it or not, that was something that Joe Urban taught me back in the day too. So yeah, it's all about taking the small baby steps and what you were saying about the about Using phones earlier.

It's kind of a pretty cool segue to something that we are collaborating on in April next year Which is the next in network master class I'm super excited about and [00:28:00] we are going to be helping directors and operators and decision makers like overcome those challenges Fears and hesitancies is hesitancy is even a word.

Well, it sounds good. If it's not, it should be. It works. Right. Um, and like, once again, like you were right. So I think a lot of districts out there are hesitant. And I can think of the time when I was at my old district at Pasco and we were about to bring on a new point of sale back of house software, front of house back of house software.

And it's kind of a daunting task to redo the technology for an entire district and we had at the time like what 70 plus schools and another like 20 something charters and nobody wanted to do it like none of the, no one in the actual kitchens wanted to do it because a lot of work, a lot of learning.

But they learned after doing the implementation that, Hey, like I can move on to a newer technology. I can learn how to use it. And guess what? You love it. They love it. All right, but um, [00:29:00] we plan on using or teaching operators to compete with restaurants in terms of marketing and branding at this next 10 masterclass.

All right. So I think, you know, but I've kind of been like dabbling in the world of like commercial food service, like restaurants and hospitality and all of that, which has been great. I've made some amazing friends. Right. And learned a ton. But I keep telling them like none of them really understand how epic school meals is and school nutrition like across the country and they just don't get it.

What they do know is that they're very innovative and school districts will sometimes get innovation from them, right? But I'm going to leverage those relationships that I have. And teach people in school districts how to compete and how to market and brand and everything at the level of a restaurant Even if all they have, like you said, is a camera phone, an [00:30:00] iPhone, Android phone, whatever.

So we're going to focus on photography. We're going to focus on video and marketing strategy. So if we're talking photography, uh, my co host for the Indulge podcast, which does focus on like high end dining, hospitality, and all that. Uh, her name is Melissa Santel. She is a food photographer. Like if there was a Michelin star for food photography, she would have it.

Like it's predict. She's always at like the latest restaurants taking the most beautiful photos. Like it's, it's awesome. So, uh, she's gonna come in and teach a class on food photography, using nothing more than a camera phone and probably a light box, right? And then we're gonna have somebody come in and teach a class on video.

I've got some. awesome creative directors and cinematographers. And DJ is actually going to come in and teach a class on how to promote your program through video, even if all you have is a, um, camera phone. And DJ is the same guy that, that, uh, helped [00:31:00] me out with my, this is school meals video. So, you know, he does good stuff.

I actually won this award right here because of DJ. So shout out to DJ. Um, and then we're going to have, uh, my friend Cassie, who was a CMO at the highest level for like major restaurant brands, like in New York. And now she has her own marketing and branding podcast. And she's also the host for the universal studios podcast.

Well, she is going to come in and teach a class on marketing strategy. So teaching the operators how to strategize. Their entire program right through marketing and branding. So I am super excited about that I'm glad that you're gonna be there But then I think like the real fun is gonna happen Whenever we have our chef demonstrations and then the attendees have to make the same dish that the chef made and then promote it using All the tips tricks and tools that they've learned previously in those three classes and then we get you know, me I like competitions So we're going to let the [00:32:00] audience, uh, vote on the best, uh, LTO that was created and promoted and that sort of thing.

So once again, like, I feel like this is a hands on training that a lot of, uh, operators may not get when they go to conferences. And they're going to get a chance to, like, put it to use. Like, we're going to give them practical applications on how to do these things and why to do them. And then, of course, they can go to you to get all their, uh, feedback.

Certifications, certificates. Yeah. So I, I, I'm sure there's people that are, I mean, I, I, I love this idea. I think it's fantastic. And I know there's going to be people that listen to this and want to learn more and kind of stay connected. So I'm, where can they find some information about next gen and the masterclass sessions and all of that?

Uh, even if they can't attend in person, um, there might be people that just want to stay in contact with you and kind of get more information through your, through your newsletter that you got in the magazine that you send out every single month. Where can they get more information about that? Yeah, so I would say social media is the easiest place so you can find us at Nexta Network on pretty much all the [00:33:00] platforms and it's N E X T G E N not N E X T because unfortunately when I started the company N E X T that domain was taken already.

Shocker, right? You know the domain challenges. Oh, it's rough. It's rough. Whenever I have a new idea for anything, the first thing I do is, is the domain available? All right, I'm going to go buy it. Right. Yep. So yeah, you can find this on social media. Our website is NexGenNetwork. com. Um, we have ServDigizine, which is our, uh, our national publication that goes out to digital magazine and of course, in newsletters too.

But yeah, you can reach out to us on any one of those platforms and you can give us a call. Our number is 1 844 WAIT. No, it's 844 698 And XT gen one, that's wrong. Eight four, four, six, nine, eight, four, three, six, one. So, all right, let me start over again. It's eight, four, four. Next gen one, the number one, because next and always wins.

I completely put it in the show notes. [00:34:00] We'll put it in the show notes. We'll have to get the, someone else on the team over here to get the number, right. And then we'll get it to the show notes for you. I know, I know it's next in one though. At least you were able to get something like that for the phone number.

I, we didn't even get that far with, uh, with kind of branding the phone number. I love the detail that you put into everything though. It's like, everything is on brand on theme. It's, it's great. I love it. Yeah. It's so weird too, because like that branding was never a thing that I thought I would ever get into.

Neither was marketing or, or advertising or anything in that realm, but, uh, it was about two years ago. Uh, so I'd been in business for two years and my grandmother calls me over to her house and she's like, Hey, I want to give you something. And I was like, okay. I was like, well, what, what's this? Like, tell me, don't just call me over to your [00:35:00] house because you want to like show me something or give me something.

So I sit down on her couch, she gets up, she walks to her bedroom and she comes out with this ashtray. And Now, I'm not condoning smoking. Smoking is bad. Nobody out there should be smoking. But, back in the day, I mean, it was more of a common thing, right? So, she brings out this black ashtray with this glass thing on the inside, and it was branded.

And it said, Burrell Advertising and Marketing. And at that point, it dawned on me that I had fallen into the exact same thing. that my grandfather did and my grandmother. So, my family's Jamaican, and my grandfather was the first black man to have a marketing and advertising agency on the island. And I had known this, but it never occurred to me that I'm doing exactly that.

Like, exactly the same thing that he did. So, like, my grandmother hands me this thing, and I'm like [00:36:00] bawling, crying, because I'm an emotional guy, right? Like, I have feelings, and I love my grandfather, right? And, like, when I saw this thing, I was like, oh my gosh, like, this is what I was always meant to do, was what he did.

And, uh, it was just really cool and I posted something on LinkedIn about it and, um, Betsy Whitehead from she's, she's a retired director now she's retired at the time she wasn't from a district in Florida. She saw my post, and she was like Marlon. When I was a kid in Jamaica, my father would get this as the Christmas gift from your grandfather.

I was like, Oh my gosh. It was, it was almost like this confirmation from God that I'm doing the right thing for the right people. It's meant to be. And honestly, like that's kind of where this confidence comes from that I have is because I truly believe like I'm meant to be doing this and this is just my blessing and [00:37:00] This is what God wants me to do.

Like, I'm going to take these crazy chances and do all these wild things that he's given me these ideas for. Because if they came from him, like it's a done deal. Like I already won. Like I've I'm doing the thing that he wants me to do. So I can't fail. So that's why I'm so passionate about what I do and how I do it.

And I'm kind of getting to the point now where I'm more like an apologetic about it. But for. So, I mean, obviously it sounds like your grandparents had a big influence on you, whether you realize that or not, um, on, you know, kind of the future path that you would fall into. Um, I'm curious to know who else you might say had an influence on you with kind of getting started with either school nutrition or getting started with kind of marketing and advertising.

Um, and, or maybe it was some type of, uh, Um, uh, a book that you read or something that really just kind of like sparked your interest in, in that. Um, but is there any one that comes to mind or, or maybe any, uh, book or, or, I mean, some, I've talked to people [00:38:00] before and they're like, Oh yeah, I watched this movie.

And it was just, it really told me that I was, you know, I meant to do this. Um, but did you have any, a similar experience to that though? Yeah. So I would have to say. Julie Hedin, um, recently passed. My old director from Pasco, she was probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, um, reasons why I'm here where I am right now.

So, I mentioned that I used to work in IT, right? So, I was like the nerdy guy that just sat in a corner, wanted to fix computers, didn't want to talk to anybody. Right. It was like, I'm, I'm truly an introvert people don't get it, but I am like, I can be an extrovert and I can turn it on when I need to, but I would much rather just like be home.

I'm talking to anybody playing a video game or something. Right. So, um, Julie allowed me to recognize that I'm more than just the introvert that I thought I was. So I'm extremely competitive. So like [00:39:00] I like the extroverted side of me comes out through competition. and through games and just having fun being silly, right?

And she allowed me to be as silly as I wanted to be and try all these wildest, like the wildest ideas. Like I remember we had Um, and I don't like doing public speaking, so he wanted me to speak and I was like, Oh, how am I going to get out of this? Right? I don't want to speak in front of a bunch of people.

Let me just come up with a game show or a talk show, right? Which is crazy because that's exactly what I do now. It's like this, this silly idea I had years ago turned into my career, which is wild. So we, uh, oh gosh, what was the name of the show? Um, not Regis and Kathy. Who were the people that took over after Regis and Kathy?

It was Kelly. Oh, Michael and Kelly, right? So Michael Strahan and Kelly, right? So, me and my friend [00:40:00] Bonnie, who worked in the district, like, we did like a whole, like, skit off of their show. And did interviews with people across the district. We talked to teachers, we talked to school, food, school, school, nutrition professionals, a bunch of people recorded a TV show and then live on stage, like we almost did like a, like a mock talk show.

Right. And I was just looking back and I was like, Oh my gosh, like if Julie would have never allowed me to play around with things like this back in the day, I probably wouldn't be doing it right now. So I would say Julie, cause she, she allowed me to like, you know, start blossoming and supported me throughout the entire way.

Um, just another memory I had of her was after she allowed me to leave the district, uh, pursue my career at, uh, meal viewer. Um, I was on my very first trip ever, very first conference, right? And I probably, probably about six months after I'd spoken to her, and she finds out that I'm 30 minutes, 45 minutes outside [00:41:00] of Illinois, or outside of Chicago, right?

I'm at, I'm there for a conference. So she sent to me a text at like 11 o'clock at night. She was like, Hey, Marlon, I hear you're nearby, like we should get together and catch up. But I didn't know that she was at a meeting with the Alliance Directors Group, which is some of the most innovative directors across the country, right?

So they all get together a couple times a year, they do a meeting, they solve problems for industry. Well, she was with this group of directors, and she brought me out to hang out with them to network. And that's it. single introduction to that group of, I think at the time, maybe like 15 directors really set me up and helped me to build relationships that kind of carried me through the pandemic.

And like all the way up until now, like I've met some amazing friends from that group, like Eric Spann, like, you know, Eric, Eric's a great dude, super innovative, crazy, smart, and just a good human being. And I met him that night all these years [00:42:00] ago. So Julie Hedin, Miss her, love her. Wouldn't be here for work for her if it wasn't for her.

Um, another person is Tommy Wofford, right? So Tommy is a previous owner of meal viewer. He sold it to Heartland school solutions and is off doing his, uh, his, uh, other ventures right now. He's a serial entrepreneur, right? Um, well, he turned into, um, being a great friend and a, and a mentor. And he's the one that, that, uh, offered me the position that I took whenever I left Pasco.

So I went to go work for him in the very first day in his office. Like we weren't even there for my first day. I take it back. Uh, my wife and I were there just to see the office, get introduced to the team to see if I really wanted the job. Right. And of course I took the job, but on his desk, I saw a book and it was, I think it was called, it's not just who, you know, or it's not just what, you know, Um, and I asked him about the book and [00:43:00] I ended up picking it up and it was all about relationships and it was all about valuing every single relationship, like no matter how small, every single interaction, meeting or whatever, and it was kind of intriguing for me because as a kid growing up, my parents used to always tell me not to burn bridges and boy, I could torch a bridge, right?

When I was like, when I was younger, it was bad. So now I'm reading this book, it's telling me the complete opposite. And that book once was one of those things that I feel like led to my success because I never undervalue an interaction. Like I feel like every person I meet or every organization I come through.

Or come to me. I meant to either help them. They're meant to help me, or we can collaborate, and there's always that potential. So I value everybody and everything like I take every single meeting like I don't care like who who makes the request. I will take the meeting because you asked [00:44:00] for it for a reason.

And there've been times where someone comes to me because they need some sort of like consulting, they need help with something, but in return, like they ended up helping me. Right. So it's not me helping them as I'm helping me. So I always value, um, people. That's what it's all about. I mean, I literally call my company next to a network because I love to network and we need to come together to solve the major problems.

Like not just one person can do it. So we need to collaborate. I love asking that question to people and hearing people's stories and how, you know, other people have influenced them and really kind of helped them onto the path that they're on. Um, Because I think one thing that we take for granted a lot of time just as people, uh, is our influence on the other people that we come in contact with.

And I guarantee you those individuals that you named off that have had major influences on your life and future success and just the career path that you took, uh, where your family is now, uh, those individuals have [00:45:00] major impacts on all of those decisions and future moves on your end. But I guarantee you they didn't know that at the time they were just being themselves and being a friend and, you know, inviting you out to somewhere.

And it ultimately ended up leading to something so much bigger than that. And I think that we lose sight a lot of times like we get into our daily rhythm. And, you know, I know I talked to, you know, groups all around the place, you know, for back to school meetings and all that kind of stuff. And a lot of the conversations I have is, you know, are, you know, a lot of the kind of The energy that I feel in the room is just another school year.

Here I am, you know, just doing my thing, but it's not the excitement that you get to make a difference. And I think that if we just kind of refocus our, our kind of mindset of, you know, we're just, We're just here. We're just working in the schools. We're just serving food to we get the opportunity to make a positive impact on each and every one of these kids lives on a daily basis.

You really [00:46:00] are in a very unique position in the school nutrition industry and even in the restaurant industry. There are very few industries where you really, truly get the opportunity to touch such a large number of individuals on a daily basis. I mean, there are very few things in this world that bring people together like food brings us together.

And, you know, every single kid on a, on a regular, on a daily basis comes through that lunch line. And the school nutrition staff is really the only group of individuals in a school district that sees every single kid on a daily basis. You know, teachers only see the kids in their classroom. Principals and administrators really only see kids when there's a problem.

But the school nutrition staff sees those kids going through that lunch line each and every school day. And, Really understanding that we all have an impact on the people that we come in contact with, you know, can kind of help us with, you know, changing our attitude when we go into things. And, you know, and I think that, you know, if everyone just kind of, you know, [00:47:00] had that thought of, you know, you never really know who you're meeting, who you're going to meet, uh, and approaching every situation, bringing your best to that situation.

Um, I think it just would, you know, just make the industry as a whole a better and happier place, but, you know, just make us happier individuals as well. Yeah. And I have to give a big shout out to all those, uh, SMPs out there working the lunch line because like, I, it still blows my mind how they memorize every kid's name.

Like I used to go to school. And I used to be there for breakfast, lunch, or whatever it was. And the cashier knew everyone's name. That is a huge blessing. I could know, like, I don't have that blessing, unfortunately, but what really blew my mind was the first, my first, uh, school visit when I joined Pasco work for Pasco in it, I was like, I want to go to my old elementary school.

Lake Myrtle elementary. I haven't been there since I was a kid. I want to go back. So. I go back [00:48:00] and the assistant manager at the time was working at the same school when I was a kid and she remembered me all those years later, she remembered me and I was like, and like, I wasn't like a bad kid by any means.

I wasn't even like a super good kid. Like I was unmemorable. There's no reason why this lady should have remembered me. She did. I was like, man, I was like, You can't find this type of passion and commitment and love for For a job or for a career than in school meals. Like she remembered me at 20 years later.

It's the wildest thing. Well, I mean, and the students remember them. Yeah. I mean, it's, you know, I mean, if you look at the surveys that are done at class reunions, you know, at their 10, 15, 20 year reunions. I mean, there's really like three people that are listed on those as, as like people that, that, you know, adults in their adult life remember about their, their elementary, middle and high school years.

And it's, you know, the [00:49:00] coach, if they played a sport, the teacher that was oftentimes the hardest on them and someone in the school nutrition department. Because I mean, meals are just such an important piece of our daily life. And so, I mean, for everyone out there, that's, you know, the awesome SMPs, uh, that are serving food on a daily basis, you're influencing a lot of people and they're remembering who you are.

Yeah. You know what? That makes me think about, um, this whole like unpaid, not unpaid meals, but, uh, meals at no charge, meals at no cost. Right. Yeah. And if school meals are so like, if a meal is that important, that it's memorable to you, then why aren't they all free? Yeah. Like they all be free. Books are free.

Computers are free. Like everything is free. Why not the thing that fuels a kid to actually be able to use all those other things or to be able to learn or to create these positive memories and that sort of thing? Well, I guess that's a conversation for another podcast. It really is because you can't argue, you cannot argue that [00:50:00] school meals are not important.

And I mean, even the administrative team at a school district understands how important the meals are and you see that they understand it right before testing. You know, you have your big state testing, you have all of those. And I mean, what are the memos that go out to every single child nutrition professional and every single teacher?

It is make sure your students get what? Okay. A good breakfast and they eat lunch. Why aren't those emails going out on a daily basis? Because obviously we see the value in eating because a hungry child cannot learn. It's not that they won't learn. It's a hungry child cannot learn. So we need to make sure that every child has access to these meals because you're right, they are extremely important and they should really be free for everyone.

But you're right. That is a conversation for another day. But, uh, but yeah, yeah. Oh man, so I have to ask you, like, out of all the meals that you've had in the school, what is your favorite? I didn't ask you earlier. Man, man, um, [00:51:00] what is one of my favorite meals that I've had in schools? Um, You know, I used to go in and I used to spend a lot more time in school cafeterias than I do now.

Unfortunately, I need to get back in the cafeterias. Um, I feel like, you know, just in the past few years, really since COVID started, you know, so much of my life has revolved around staring at a camera and talking to people remotely. Um, but I will rewind. And when I first got into the industry, um, One school district that I loved going to was, uh, Yuma Unified School District, um, Yuma number one, um, out in, um, Arizona.

And, um, it was one of the first districts that, uh, my dad actually and his companies, when my dad started his company, uh, we moved from Georgia, which is where I'm originally from. We moved out when I was like 11 years old. And for the first couple of years, my parents homeschooled me. And a lot of people don't know this about me, but my dad basically took me with him to go and do service calls in school districts [00:52:00] all over the state of Arizona.

So when I go back and I see districts and people from the state of Arizona, like I just did this past weekend, it's really like a homecoming or like a reunion in a way, because a lot of those directors and. Uh, you know, in child nutrition professionals, uh, I mean, they've known me since I was a kid and I mean, a lot of them still call me, my dad's name is Bart and so a lot of them still call me baby Bart, which was how they remember me, but Yuma was one of the very first school districts that my dad was able to, um, you know, get when we first moved out, they just gave him a chance and really kind of, you know, uh, took him under his wing or under their wing and really kind of You know, uh, helped him get into the child nutrition industry.

And when we used to go there, they would make some of the most amazing, fresh baked goods. They would bake their own breads. They would do, and then they still do. They break their own breads. They would do all of these just amazing, like scratch cooked items. And I just remember walking in and just being [00:53:00] intoxicated by the smells and the aromas going into the cafeteria, which just made you.

So hungry for whatever they were cooking, but all of those baked goods and everything that they would, that they would just scratch cook on site, um, we're just some of the, the, the memories that are so like ingrained in my memory. Um, and, um, so I would have to say Yuma had a big influence on, you know, my kind of, um, I guess introduction to school meals and one of the reasons why I just really fell in love with the child nutrition department and they would always be so nice to you.

Like we'd come in service schools, they'd give us baked rolls and they'd send them home with us and they're just the sweetest people. But But yeah, I would say Yuma and some of the work that they did back in the day. You know, obviously I know the child nutrition has changed a lot, um, which is why I wanted to know kind of a little bit more from you about some of the different innovative things that you've seen in your journeys out there.

Um, and, um, you know, you mentioned Joe Urban earlier and some of the, you know, initiatives that he's been doing. Um, [00:54:00] and, um, you know, I think that, you know, stuff like that, that, you know, just kind of shows people what's possible is so important. Yeah. Yeah, so, I mean, Greenville has been doing amazing things, Pasco here does great things, Aurora County in, um, Colorado, St.

Vrain, oh gosh, so St. Vrain, Colorado, Katie Cosette and her team, they're doing some really cool things. Uh, so we actually filmed a piece with them about their farm to school initiatives, right? So, like, when I say farm to school, like, I'm talking, like, not just produce, but cattle. Like, they literally have cattle that they, uh, raise with the Ag Department, and then they teach the kids, like, so you raise the cattle, and they butcher it, and then they serve it on their menus, and they teach the kids the process from A to Z, and I cannot wait to share that video.

It is absolutely awesome. So there's some districts out there doing some really cool things and we just love sharing that with the world. Yeah. So in [00:55:00] kind of closing care, I want to ask you one more question and then we can wrap things up for today. Um, I know we've gone a little bit long here for what a typical episode for us looks like, but.

Um, no, no, no. I I'm curious to know though. If you had a, if, if, if there was a billboard and it was on the side of a street, you know, go in, in and out that every single person in the world could see on a daily basis and you had the opportunity to put one thing on this billboard, what would your billboard say?

Oh man, that is a tough question. Um, and I'm guessing it has to relate to this conversation. It can be anything. Uh, all right. Well, I mean, for me, there's one like obvious answer, and that is some sort of message that talks about my faith, because if it were not for Jesus Christ, I would not be here doing any of this.

So like, if it was something like that, that would be on the [00:56:00] billboard. If it was something, um, more related to like school meals specifically, it would just say, hashtag, this is school meals. And I would use that billboard to educate people on how. Awesome. The S and P's are out there. How amazing their meal programs are and how needed it is for more kids to eat school meals.

And like, I just envisioned it like the, uh, I call it TISM. My team hates when I call it TISM, but this is school meals. Like, I just want that, that brain on a black billboard and big white letters. Maybe it has a QR code and a website or something, but I love promoting Good people and supporting my friends and promoting my friends.

And I want this movement to be that main vehicle to promote all the food manufacturers out there, all the tech manufacturers, all the people that provide professional development, like you guys, and mainly the school districts. Right. Because you [00:57:00] guys on the industry side, the manufacturer side are providing school districts with solutions.

They need it to feed more kids. So you guys need your shout out, the districts need their shout out. And if we can. Control the narrative and get more kids eating. School meals. It's a better future for all of us. That's what I want to create or be part of creating. I love it. I love it. Well, Marlon, thanks for being on the show.

I really appreciate it. It's been fun. And, um, you know, we need to do this again at some point in the future, but, um, uh, we'll put out contact information for Marlon and next gen network and the rest of his team and the show notes. Um, but, um, yeah, no, man, it was, it's been, it's been a lot of fun. I appreciate you.

And I do have that phone number locked in. It's eight four four six nine eight four three. 614 844 NEXT GEN 1. Love it. Love it. I'm Marlon. Hey man, it's been real. Alright, got you [00:58:00] brother.