Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome back to Cut the Tie podcast and YouTube channel. I'm on a mission to help you cut the tie to whatever it is holding you back from success. Now, that success you better define for yourself, and I know Mr Nicholas Kemp, joining me today, has defined his. I normally ask you to say your, I just want to do it. Grillgasms, all right.

Speaker 2: 0:18

That's perfect, thomas, perfect, thank you.

Speaker 1: 0:21

Take a moment, introduce yourself where you're from what you do.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Okay, my name is Nicholas Kemp. I am the owner, operator and founder of Grillgasms Barbecue. It's a soul fed, smoke driven food brand based here in Atlanta. I specialize in a flavor experience from smoked meats to scratch mate sides, cheeky merch and even getting into meal prep for families, you know, and individuals. It's not just food, it's a vibe, you know. I um take a twist and combine a lot of different techniques um in the barbecue space. But my, my shtick with my food is is I typically do soul food type seasoning on the rather than just allowing it to be, you know, oh, the smoke is the flavor like I. I season like grandma, grandpa, uncles, aunties would when I was growing up and I served food with a whole lot of love and a lot of passion.

Speaker 1: 1:11

When you, when you decided on, grillgasms was the first thing like I hope is available, and when you found the URL where you're like, oh, I can't believe this. It's unfailable.

Speaker 2: 1:21

I really, it really was like that. Uh, it actually started as a running joke with my wife and I um so shout outs to my wife, dania, for for the name inspiration um, and when she said it and it clicked, I was like man, that's, that'd be a great name. I was like there's no way this is available, like none really, how's probably not come up with this?

Speaker 2: 1:45

And like to get on and find out that from a URS, I was like wow, it's available. And then even take it a step further, like trying to get the trademarking for it and going in and like no one has done this or anything like this at all and you know, doing what I needed to do to protect the IP at that at that point. So I'm happy with it, glad it's going and we're just going to keep rolling.

Speaker 1: 2:10

It makes you give a perspective of where you are in times of life where it feels like everything's taken already in the Internet space and you're still really early. And I mean we're like you know, 30 years in. Maybe you know people 100 years now will be like oh, I could never get that. Like that. You know people 100 meters now. I'll be like, oh, I could never get that. Like that's 100 year old company, right, like right. And you're early on it, like you really aren't that far we're anyway. So I think that's a perspective people need to keep in mind of where you are relative to the speed effect. Yeah, so maybe dot com is my 90th thing in 70 years now, who knows? But, um, right, I'll be dead, for sure it's okay. In your journey story. Here there's a measure of success one always has. How did you define it for yourself?

Speaker 2: 3:04

started taking note of the amount of repeat customers I was receiving. You know, just kind of doing it as a side hustle. I was in education, you know, got into the food space, started out frying turkeys and like the number of people that were coming back and clamoring like, hey man, I can't wait to the next holiday because I need a turkey or I need a ham. And then I started offering some of my other stuff, like hey, I smoke ribs, I smoke brisket. Oh, you know what? I'm a griller, I offer smoked salmon. You know pescetarian things like that. And the people that kept coming back and being consistent and even getting to a point of like having friends that work in corporate spaces. Like hey, I have this event coming up for my staff it's about 80 people, can you cater it? You know, and finding myself in spaces where I was like kind of reworking my schedule to do these jobs and have these experiences and it was like the light bulb kind of hit like dude, this, this was your dream as an 18 year old college freshman and you allow professors to talk you out of it based on their experiences.

Speaker 2: 3:59

Like all restaurants fail in the first three years, things like that.

Speaker 2: 4:05

Restaurants fail in the first three years, things like that, not realizing that a new path would inevitably be forged with the advent of food trucks and things like that or pop-up tents.

Speaker 2: 4:13

And, like I said, from looking at the repeat customers and then to actually getting into my bookkeeping and seeing, as a side job, how much I was able to do in a year from like seven or eight jobs and I was like man, you know, some, some extra effort and some elbow grease, I can really turn this around and flip it into something big. And you know, um, coupled that with the amount of like conversation I have with people, um, I I do a tailgate event for Morehouse and Spelman, uh, with some friends of mine and I do the catering for the tent, and the number of people that live here in the area that come to the tent and eat the food that are like, why is the barbecue scene not providing this kind of food in Atlanta? Like, dude, you're doing this Without a brick and mortar, without the financial backing and the support. Like, just imagine, if you started putting it out there, what you could do. And so, from there and I started taking it, serious, I would argue don't change it.

Speaker 1: 5:15

The restaurant, all those other things they do add incredible stress, complications, when what happens if you could get 10 people you hire to take the trucks and go do what you do, and now your assets can be sold and you can hit just as many people wherever they are you come to them? I don't know. I think we could talk about that offline. I actually don't think that's a bad idea is just scale it differently than you're thinking, Because, yeah, every time you get into commercial space, what happens is they raise the price. That means you have to raise the price and at some point I'm not paying $20 for a sandwich and you're like well, I close, I just signed a seven-year lease, You're done. But if you got a truck that shows up and works when it shows up I don't know, maybe your models we can talk about that offline. So, as you're growing, you have this journey and it sounds like belief in yourself might have been one of the tides you had to cut. Is that fair?

Speaker 2: 6:11

Is that the biggest yeah. At the time, thomas, just being honest, like I said, my wife, my kids, my extended family, even my circle of friends, like everybody was like, dude, I would pay to eat your food. And in the back of my mind it really was just like they're just saying that they, you know, family, friends, whatever you know, you're eating free food. You're supposed to compliment the chef Never really thought anything about it.

Speaker 2: 6:36

But to start going to places, you know, and like ordering food from different places or being with people and hearing people say to like do I much rather pay for your food than this, is really what started getting the wheels turning and it was like, well, you know, maybe I can do this, you know. And then, like I said, that's what kind of springboarded me into doing it on the side while I was working a full-time job, and just even those responses, but it still took time for me to like actually believe in myself. Like you know what? Nah, I can do this. Like, yeah, I haven't been in the competitions, you know the Memphis and Mays and things like that, but that doesn't mean that my product isn't just as good as the next person. It's just people don't know me, and you know I'm working to change that.

Speaker 1: 7:21

Well, here we are on a podcast over it and I actually think you know if you can really do what you do. Well, just a good strategy in marketing is all you'll need to get plenty of money and a good model where you can scale. You'll be off and I will tell you I wouldn't do physical unless it's like a dream years that your mom's, like you, got to have a physical restaurant. Those are the last words Like, like, I mean like. I would say there's probably better models in this day and age that work way more effectively, way cheaper and it can be way more profitable. So you can, you can truly build a business around it, and even franchise business. Like franchise model meaning like you could step away from it and as a restaurant you won't. You'll buy yourself a job for sure. So, anyway, offline we'll take that.

Speaker 1: 8:06

But I love that because the whole name of Grillgasm food is on that sensory level that can trigger similar feelings of dopamine release. And if you're super hungry or there's a nostalgia piece to it and it's something you just crave, it's like there is truly like this I'm going to come back and eat this whenever I can, or I see this when are you this week I need my food and the built. I love that yeah.

Speaker 2: 8:31

And it's funny you mentioned that piece, thomas I actually, when I was doing my, my trademark application, I had created a definition that I included in the, the the trademark application as well, and a lot of the points that you just highlighted, saying that talking about the name are things that are in the definition, are things that are in the definition. So like it reads the bodily response to eating barbecue that causes the rapid, pleasurable release of powerful mix of feel good chemicals that trigger pleasure, satisfaction and even nostalgia, usually accompanied by happy facial expressions, guttural moans and verbal outbursts of pure, unfiltered joy. So like that's what I look to do for people when I cook my food. I have another shirt in my merch line that says like the secret ingredient is love, because when I cook for people, I'm cooking like you're a part of my family.

Speaker 2: 9:21

That's how I grew up watching my grandmothers in the kitchen, watching my mom, watching my dad, older siblings, uncles, aunts. It was all love infused. And like I I tell people, like I can tell you how to make something exactly like I make it, but it'll never be quite the same because the intention that I put into it and the intention that I have behind it is going to be much different. You're doing it for it to taste good. I'm doing it because I want people to feel good, I mean the thing you just read should be on it.

Speaker 1: 9:52

You know, you know, dude, that should be your marketing Honestly definition. I've got a business card. It need be big, like and that's all. Or like, or you know. In other words, it's amazing food, like, something like that. I love that because that's, you know, that's the, that's the draw in and that's the brand, that, like, you know, the energy I put, you know, and I would tell you like I like, if you're, you should be. I think someone should just give away the recipes, cause I can never repeat it, but I think I could try and I'd buy your book to find out, and then I'd always just come back and at least drive a conversation with you and be like, hey, can you do like a class on this so I can going to do it, like you're going to do it ever, but they're going to, they give you a version. It doesn't mean he's not going to buy your stuff any less.

Speaker 2: 10:40

Right, and that's actually one of the things that I ran into, even talking to some of my older family members is is like trying to recreate certain things that they did and the feedback is always nah, don't try to do mine, do yours. Like yeah, you can follow the recipe, but you got to put your own spin to it to make it yours. And that was one of the things like, even when I was in the educational space, like that's what I would tell my students and tell my staff, like Don't worry about trying to recreate a lesson the way that I did it. Take the key points that resonate with you and turn it into your own. You have to be comfortable with it.

Speaker 2: 11:10

You know I like spice. Not everybody likes spice, so you might not like spicy mixed greens. I like a bit of a Cajun kick with my turkeys. You might not. You might prefer more of a basil, lemon pepper style. So, whatever it is, take it, make it yours, put your soul into it and just make sure that you and the people partaking of it feel good when you're done, do you? I?

Speaker 1: 11:33

like my turkeys. What's that? Jive talking good one, good one, good one I like gonna hold that pose just from jives. All right, that's my humor. I probably should do a different types of podcasts, um, but let's keep it serious, all right. Uh, you're, uh, you're on this journey. What?

Speaker 2: 12:32

is going to. What are you going to have to do to become full-time on this? Uh, so I, I, I took the leap of faith, um, and it was more so due to a health concern that I had had experienced. Um, I stepped away from education so I have been like bare knuckle, you know, elbow greasing it through, coming up on a year now. So it is my full time is what I'm trying to make into my permanent. It was initially for me supposed to be a retirement, early retirement dream. It just so happens that, like I said, when my health kicked in, my family meant more to me and I needed to remove myself from a space that was causing me medical concerns that would potentially affect my life, and people were like, oh you know, but being an entrepreneur, that's stressful too. Yeah, but this level of stress, I get to choose what I deal with and I have a level of freedom that comes with this, that I don't get punching somebody's clock, and I have a level of freedom that comes with this, that I don't get punching somebody's clock.

Speaker 1: 13:28

So those things come in and like, yeah, time for money and stress along that with. It's not worth it. Fair to say, are you confident? As long as you can keep your hustle, you'll never lose.

Speaker 2: 13:39

That's how I felt about it. I was like I've developed the attitude and the mindset that, you know, there are no losses in this. It's either I win or I learn something, you know, which is the quote in paraphrase from Nelson Mandela Like, being able to learn something helps me take a step in a different direction. My wife has even told me, you know, she's, she's into like the metaphysical and the spiritual space, and talks to me about a lot of things. And she was telling me she's like, babe, it's in your human design, You're, you're meant to faffle.

Speaker 1: 14:08

And I was like, oh, you define that for me, please, honey.

Speaker 2: 14:13

You got to F around and find out. So you know, uh, and in the business space I was moving your job, because where you get one, you get one a show.

Speaker 1: 14:25

Now that I know I got you before we get off, Ben Exor should just walk around with F-A-F-O on a shirt and every other Gen Xer would like go by and give you like the cheap wave, Because we get it Like millenniums will start running their mouth. You're like right, Gen Zers are like hmm, it's illegal to hit the Gen Y, just so you know if they're still underage.

Speaker 2: 14:49

Ah, yeah, true True.

Speaker 1: 14:51

Very true, very true. All right, I've taken this on a tangent. Tell me something who gives you inspiration.

Speaker 2: 14:59

Um, so, immediately, my, my family, you know, my wife, my kids and I'm tapping more into the inspiration from my kids and watching them like and them watching me, since I've been on this journey. My daughter is like she started, like I started my business back in 2019. Like I said, it was a part time thing, you know, and watching me do it, she was like, oh, I want to do a lemonade stand. So each summer, we started her help, letting her do lemonade stands, which they have done really well, like to the point where I've incorporated it into my business too. So when I get clients that come and make orders for catering, like, I add in, like, hey, have a beverage line through my daughter called Reese's Berry Lemonade. You know, if you need lemonades or teas, we can provide that as well, you know. And she gets a portion of what's paid into by customers ordering her drinks.

Speaker 2: 15:51

You know my son he hasn't developed in terms, anything in terms of like being able to be incorporated into my business, but he's looked at different things from an entrepreneurial standpoint, whether it's trying to get in the dog walking in our neighborhood or, oh, I taught him how to cut the grass, you know. He's like, oh, I can go cut people's grass, you know, just teaching them and seeing their mindset of like I can work for myself and not have to work for other people, you know, and still have freedom and live how I want to live. And seeing them, you know, and then being able to watch me on this journey and being able to see my ups and downs, the late nights, the early mornings, the hard work like in them at an early age, wanting to try it too, you know, and having a level of support for myself and my wife, like that means the world to me. You know that they're seeing this and I'm able to be an example for them of you don't have to necessarily punch somebody else's clock. You know that they're seeing this and I'm able to be an example for them of you don't have to necessarily punch somebody else's clock. You know to to live your life.

Speaker 1: 16:50

Yeah, so you treating your time, which is the most viable thing you have, uh, you better get the most out of it if you're going to do that, and that's that's way beyond financial, because you're you're, you know that you're having, you know, since you had health stuff going on, you know, when you have your health, you have millions of dreams, when you don't, you got but one Right and only one, and so you're like, oh and so the question I usually kind of with this next is typically around you know you got to do it again, Right?

Speaker 1: 17:16

So if you could go back in any point in your life, when would you go back and what would you do differently?

Speaker 2: 17:30

As I stated earlier in the podcast Thomas, I would go back to my freshman year of college and just maintain that dream. Like I came out of high school with home, my home ec teachers. Like I was one of the few males that took the home ec classes as electives in high school and even then, like my teachers noticed, I had an affinity for being in the kitchen because I was out cooking all of the girls, which, pardon, like the gender stereotyping, but in the mid to late 80s, early 90s, like mid 90s, that was the thing. It was gender roles. Men weren't supposed to be in the kitchen.

Speaker 2: 18:01

So here I am, this 17 year old boy in high school, in home ec classes, and girls are looking at me like you didn't cook that. What do you mean? Yes, I did. I'm standing in the kitchen right next to you like you watch me do it. Why does yours look so much better than mine? I can't answer that question for you.

Speaker 2: 18:20

So you know, like having that dream and even having teachers be like no, no, no, no, Nick, like it's something different about you in this kitchen. You know, like having that dream and even having teachers be like no, no, no, no, Nick, like it's something different about you in this kitchen, you know, and taking that and wanting to run with it, you know, and I say letting the people in college like kind of talk me out of it from a success standpoint and put me in the mind frame of you know what. Let me choose this safe route. This safe route, you know, and spending like the last 21 years going that safe route but feeling a bit unfulfilled at times, Like I would definitely go back to that freshman year of college and be like you know what.

Speaker 2: 18:55

Thank you for your input, but I think I'm going to hold on to this dream, you know, I'm going to keep this business major, you know, go on and get into the hospitality space in terms of food service and things like that, and I'm gonna do what I need to do to get to this point, Cause I was having this conversation with a friend of mine a few weeks ago actually, and it was like dude, do you ever just kind of sit back and wonder where you could be had you not listened to the peanut gallery? I was like man, it's a nightmare every time I think of it.

Speaker 1: 19:23

Yeah, and I wouldn't be. You know everything in your life is happening for you when it's supposed to. You know, and you could go back, and I think one of the ways that you know every entrepreneur I meet deals with this, by the way. So you're not alone at all, for sure. But I think if the mindset of it's happening for you, and specifically my role in my life in some aspects, is to help, uh, get my, to bring it to my kids early, so it could be whatever it is, so you know, if it helps them, no, you go get that dream, go to college, learn your business, learn how to run something and go chase it, and if you do that for them, you've done exactly what you're supposed to have done.

Speaker 2: 19:59

Oh yeah, and that's definitely been a lot of what this journey has been for me. Like I said, my, my son, is interested in being a NASCAR driver, you know. So my wife and I talked to him from a standpoint of like hey, learn the engineering and the mechanics aspect of it, you know, go to school, get a degree in that. That way, like when you get into it, you know, or you can get into it While going to school, or you can go to school while being a part of NASCAR, while going to school, or you can go to school while being a part of NASCAR, but learn something that you can take with you, that no one can take away from you, and learn the different parts of the businesses. The same thing with my daughter. Like she, she wants to be an OBGYN, you know, or a pediatrician, like dealing with babies and kids from a medical standpoint.

Speaker 2: 20:40

And it's never been for me like, oh, work in a hospital, work in a hospital, work in a hospital Well, how can you do this? And then start your own practice. Like it's eight billion people on the face of the planet A large percentage are children. It's not like we're going to run out of spaces for hospitals or clinics to service the women and the children. So like why do you have to go work from someone else Like you can go learn and get what you need, but take that and build your own instead of making somebody else rich.

Speaker 1: 21:10

Awesome, I love that. Hey, there's a question I should ask you today, and I didn't. What would that question have been?

Speaker 2: 21:16

How do you? Let me see, let me see, let me see you have notes?

Speaker 2: 21:25

I did, but you know it's been refreshing to not have to follow notes for a change, uh. But even with that, um, honestly, thomas, what I kind of leaned into thinking about, we kind of touched on because you, you were asking me, like, at what point did I know which kind of segues into, like I would say, what is it that keeps me from quitting? And so, like, getting into that space of talking about when did I know that feeling and those thoughts that come back with dealing with clients and seeing their reactions, are the things that kind of keep me going on this, because I've had moments where I've just wanted to be like man. I'm going to tell my wife I'm about to go get another nine to five in somebody's cubicle, and then I have to sit with myself and recognize that, like you've done, that you weren't happy, it was stressful and tiring more than it should have been, to a point it affected your health, like why put yourself back in that environment? Impacted your health, like why put yourself back in that environment? And that's just enough to remind me, you know.

Speaker 2: 22:30

Plus, like seeing the sheer joy you know my wife gets out of watching me do my thing, you know, and watching my kids, like when they see me, it's just like man. How can I leave this? Like? It's a feeling that comes with this, you know, despite the struggles, despite the hard times, despite the late nights, the early mornings, it's just a feeling of accomplishment, you know, and a feeling of knowing I'm doing something that can contribute to the greater good and take care of my family at the same time. That's, it's motivational, you know. So, even in my dark times and hard days like that, just knowing that I'm contributing to building something bigger, not just for myself but for people that I love in my community as a whole, is something that keeps me pushing when stuff gets hard.

Speaker 1: 23:15

I mean you should have gone. What's the number one thing to try in a restaurant if you only have eight bucks Before we go? Thanks for coming on today, by the way, I'm gonna find you work. So for for the title of the name, grillgasms. Uh, I will tell you. We're gonna shoot that, having harry met sally thing and your wife like do all that. You, we're doing that, that's happening. I don't, I, you can use my front yard for it, I don't care, we're gonna. You gotta fill me in location set. We're gonna do that all right, but I don't. Um, how did they get ahold of you? Who should get ahold of you and what should they try when they get ahold, when they actually come eat your food? What's the one thing?

Speaker 2: 23:52

So my my company website is grillgasmscom G-R-I-L-L-G-A-S-M-Scom. My socials, instagram Instagram and Tick Tock at Grillgasms. My email is Big Nick at Grillgasms dot com. They can reach me via email. They can fill out a request form for a consult on my website if they require catering. I typically try to do groups between 50 to 70, but I can do groups up to 100, 150, depending on what they're ordering. My best dishes, in my opinion. I smoke a hell of a brisket and I make a smoked shrimp and grits dish, whether it's just regular or as a dressing. That'll change your life and change how you look at shrimp and grits in other restaurants.

Speaker 1: 24:41

You had me at brisket, all right, thank you for coming on today. I appreciate it, definitely. Appreciate you for having me. Thomas, listen, anybody who made it this far go out, check it out. Uh, you know grillgasmscom. Uh, I'm going to and I'm going to make a fake ad for him, like it or not, on my TikTok channel, for sure. Just cause the name's so delicious and uplifting and so releasing. I just really, oh, I feel so good when I say grillgas.