Little Chi Podcast
Join Fernando as he talks about real-life stories, current events, and impermissible topics that will elicit a wide variety of emotions. Each episode is different, so please grab a drink, kick your feet up, & enjoy Little Chi Podcast.
Little Chi Podcast
EP 9 - One & Only ft. Blake Alexander
Blake Alexander shares an inspiring journey through the worlds of music, cooking, and tailoring, highlighting the importance of resilience and personal growth. He emphasizes that the pursuit of one's passions and embracing small victories can lead to fulfilling life's dreams.
• Discussion of personal growth and resilience in 2024
• Insights into restaurant life and culinary education
• Background on the making of his album "One and Only"
• The role of custom suit designing in Blake's career
• Reflections on maintaining identity and passion in the entertainment industry
• Importance of mentorship and community support
What is up you guys? It is your boy, fernando, and welcome back to another episode of Little Shy Podcast. On today's episode, I have entertainer, singer and custom suit designer From performing at Soldier Field, white Sox Stadium and the Midwest Emmys. This guy can cover anything from Frank Sinatra, bruno Mars and even Vicente Fernandez.
Speaker 2:I present to you guys Blake Alexander.
Speaker 1:What's going on, guys? Let's give it up, bro. Dude, I'm super excited to have you on here. Me too, man, because the first time that we met shout out thank you to DJ Speaks first of all what's up? What's up, guys? How you guys doing? The first time we met because of him, we connected at his house and literally we should have had a mic with us because we had some really, really good conversations, super in-depth conversations.
Speaker 2:No, no, yeah, we spoke for like three hours.
Speaker 1:Literally, like I said, and then for me it was a great first impression. Dude, I had just met you and we talked deep, we got personal, we got to know each other. We talked about our hobbies, our talents and everything. And I loved it, man, I loved it, and then found out that it was super serendipitous. No yes, yes, yes. So, dude, thank you so much for being on this podcast.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me man.
Speaker 1:First of all, how have you been? It's the new year.
Speaker 2:What have you been up to? New year is starting off super strong. I mean I've already been booking for this upcoming December Okay, booked some weddings for next year, so new year is starting off strong in that aspect. When it comes to business, and then just my personal life, my goals, I did not quit on Quitters Day which is supposed to be the second week of January.
Speaker 1:I kind of did.
Speaker 2:No, we talked about this before. You definitely didn't. Life just came up and that happened, so I don't see that as quitting, because you said you're still following through with everything, Exactly exactly. So yeah, as far as personal goals go, I've been fulfilling. All of those Work has been great. My home life has been great so, and I'm grateful to God for. I love it for that especially for 2025, 2024 was a rough year, man. I bet it was a big rollercoaster. It was like the raging bull man, it was like climbing up, climbing up to that drop and then that
Speaker 2:drop happened and it plummeted bro I mean. I bro, I mean I in 2024, I truly felt like I hit rock bottom Really. Yeah, well, we'll definitely get into that, for sure. Yeah, I felt like I hit rock bottom and nobody would ever guess it no, no, no. People like us in this business. The smile right here.
Speaker 1:That's it, bro. Like um, we're characters, if you think about it. At the end of the day, we are characters. So whatever we go through it's, we can't really show that emotion. You know, whenever we're on that stage, if we're performing, whatever we're doing with people, we got to have that smile on our face and we put others first before ourselves.
Speaker 2:We got to know how to flip the switch. No, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I'm glad that you brought that up, because for me, 2024 was maybe the best year of my life, but then also the worst at the same time. Yeah, so I do want to get into something real quick, so, the same time, yeah, so I do want to get into something real quick. So first, obviously, before we get into the whole background of of everything, I want to know who you are, what you do. You're such a talented person, you do so much, but before we do that, um, when you're not singing, when you're not performing, what is it that you're doing?
Speaker 2:um, actually it's funny. You asked me this, somebody just asked me this the other day and they said what does blake alexander do in his free?
Speaker 1:time thank. Thank you for the cup, though, by the way. Oh, you're welcome. Thank you for the cup.
Speaker 2:Had to represent. Give you guys a little gift, For sure. What does Blake Alexander do in his free time? This is something really odd, but Is it legal?
Speaker 1:Of course it's legal, he makes suits for his dogs.
Speaker 2:It's not just because I'm Mexican.
Speaker 3:You're Mexican.
Speaker 2:Throughout the spring Mexican-Italian. So, throughout the spring and the entire season of planting and growth with the earth. I love to cut my lawn and tend to my yard outside.
Speaker 3:I mean, if I really could I mean all Mexicans do that See.
Speaker 1:But I'm to the point where. But what about in the winter? It's winter right now.
Speaker 3:Well, winter, you still cut in the grass yeah yeah, I'm rolling over the grass with the lawnmower.
Speaker 2:If it were up to me in the summer, if I had enough time, I would be cutting my lawn with scissors.
Speaker 1:Really. Oh, yeah, you're that perfectionist.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I photo of what it was like when we first moved into our house and within four months I had the lawn like absolutely perfect. So it's one of those therapeutic things, yeah, um, but no, my free time I love to uh, just like anybody, I think just visit with old friends, catch up with people that I haven't spoken with in a while. I'm always on the go I'm always wanting to make plans.
Speaker 2:I don't necessarily like being home all the time. I'm definitely not a homebody. I'd rather be out catching up with people living life to the absolute fullest.
Speaker 1:I can relate so much dude For me. I just get so bored. I cannot be at home Like one. I get bored. I don't want to use the word depressed, but it's depressing to be at home.
Speaker 3:It's kind of depressing it is.
Speaker 1:It really is. When I met this guy, when I met speaks he's always calling me like hey, you want to do this, you want to do that, you want to do that, and I'm like dude, so I want to do it, you know. But sometimes like I have to say no, you know what?
Speaker 1:I'm saying like I'm busy or he's busy whenever we want to hang out. But when I met him I was like this is another guy who cannot stay at home. But I think it's just because of who we are and what we do. We're just so used to being around people and all. It's our business.
Speaker 3:Exactly, we always have to be on the move, up or down, we're always moving, always, always, always. There's times we don't even eat.
Speaker 2:Oh, no, no, no, yeah, it's all you do Coffee You're telling me the brown bag, the brown bag, and that was something that I changed at the start of the year. Recently, you stated that Yep, that was something I changed, and I'm always on the go, so even meal prepping. It's like the time gets away from you by the time you're doing two shows. You're out for two days in a row. All you want to do is come home and just relax.
Speaker 2:You don't want to focus on anything else, and I don't necessarily think it's all about at least being disciplined with doing it, but sometimes you're just so exhausted where you just go and hit the bed. You don't have time to wait for, you know, chicken breasts or? Fish or something to fall out and then you cook, and then you don't get to bed for another hour and a half exactly for two hours, so it's a meal prep.
Speaker 2:So in november, december was a lot of brown bag, it was a lot of white castle, it was a lot of mcdonald's it was whatever was open and sometimes if you forget to ask the venue to pack you a plate to go, because I never eat when I'm performing do I?
Speaker 1:I don't like eating at parties. I just think that I don't know. Well one I can't eat because I have butterflies, and and that's another reason why I can't.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, or you look at it as like okay, you go to the grocery store and you have the cashier that's just chowing down on their lunch, as they're checking you out and talking to you and yeah, you're working.
Speaker 1:You're working, are you?
Speaker 2:yeah, exactly I look at it, um, but yeah, a lot of brown bag stuff and whatever was open, and I started noticing that my suit jackets weren't buttoning. That's a problem and I'm like man I've always been told after 30, bro, it's all downhill, unless you start to take a turn in your life. And sure enough, it happened. I never thought it would, because I've always been very slim, could eat whatever.
Speaker 2:I want quick metabolism. I still have a quick metabolism, but now everything's starting to store. Yeah, and I'm like oh man, how old are you, by the way? Uh, 31, 31, 31, I'm 32 in august.
Speaker 1:I'm almost in the 30s. I'm almost in the 30s and, like you said, this year in the summer I'm really active so I'm always dancing, super active, and I'm kind of always like I eat less.
Speaker 1:I'm more like on a one meal, two meal a day. So when I started being less active I started to notice I started gaining weight. But I was like, yes, whatever, I have a fast metabolism, I'm not gonna gain a lot. And then I don't know if you want to talk about this speaks, but he's always on the go too and he's always coffee red bull and he told me he's like bro, like um, I'm not the healthiest. Now I don't know if you want to get into that.
Speaker 2:No, everybody.
Speaker 1:you even mentioned that to me too, yeah he was like dude, I'm just not the healthiest right now. I got all this news from the doctor and it's pretty upsetting. How did you feel, bro, when you got all this news from the doctor? It was pretty depressing.
Speaker 2:No, I mean because you think you have to adjust yeah, you have to adjust your lifestyle and when you think of it this way, it's like I mean, for instance, obviously you get some upsetting news from the doctor, um, and like when I went to have my blood results yeah when they were read to me, this was about four months ago for my yearly one that I had for no five months ago, and he told me okay, this is absolutely perfect, you're good with your.
Speaker 2:your glucose like all this stuff here does not look like you're going to be a diabetic anytime soon. He's like so that's good. I'm like that's weird because I can down a pint of ben and jerry's, like every other night and I'm like, so I have a big sweet tooth, only at night, um, but then he said that my triglycerides were a lot higher than average and I'm a hypochondriac, so like instead of freaking out, you're on google.
Speaker 1:You're dying. You're dying, self-diagnosing yourself. You're dying.
Speaker 2:And then I feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm like so, doctor, wait, wait, how high actually are. He's like relax, yeah, he's like you're borderline.
Speaker 1:He's like, but everyone, though. I hear that that's like one of the things that when you go to the doctor, everybody's like you know your vitamin d is low. I mean, dude, look at it right now like we're it's winter. Yeah, we're never outside. We never get any sun, so I can see that one for sure.
Speaker 2:So I can, I can relate in that aspect of it. Yeah, so you start to freak out, yeah, like freak out.
Speaker 3:Like doctor said, I had to at least uh do 30, 40 minutes a day of exercise. No tortilla, no rice, no tacos I think he's meaning no tortilla.
Speaker 2:When it comes to the, the flour yes, and like the, carbs and they're like.
Speaker 3:I'm like damn, I can't eat none of the good shit yeah, but you know what it's?
Speaker 1:it's all, it's all. Moderation, everything now is.
Speaker 3:Let's say, if I have a plate of guisado and they bring rice and beans, it's either I eat the guisado with the tortilla and don't eat the rice, or I eat the rice and not the tortilla.
Speaker 2:But that's the way to handle it and I just drink water.
Speaker 3:I stopped drinking pop for like two, three months. My mom says hey, I seen you losing weight. Right now I'm actually just eating one meal a day, you could say. In the morning I do a shake which is a green apple with oatmeal and oatmeal uh, milk, you remember I showed you that with uh agave, uh honey oh damn, that sounds good bro and that actually actually fills me up throughout the whole day, you know let's say if I'm in a run, boom five minutes.
Speaker 3:That's a lot easier than meal prepping. That, yeah, in the morning you know it's easier than going.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's also better than going to mcdonald's and getting a mcmuffin and mcdonald's.
Speaker 2:now if I, if I really I'm starving, I'm on the go and I'm running late or whatever, I will stop at mcdonald's for breakfast, but I just just get an oatmeal and I know there's some sugar in it, but it is, but still it's not healthier.
Speaker 3:It's the healthiest thing than the biscuit than the egg, the cheese.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, the cheese.
Speaker 2:Is the sodium that's in that cheese so bad I'm not going to lie.
Speaker 3:Sometimes I do cheat and go to the Hard Rock. This dude always goes to the Hard.
Speaker 1:Rock, you should just get a residency there. Lucky, you said that I got my card.
Speaker 2:He's got his own name on the back of one of the slot stools. I know this is Speaks. This is Speaks. The servers already know me.
Speaker 3:I walk in there. What's up Speaks as usual Yep Cup of water and some pho with some spicy dumplings Damn.
Speaker 1:He already knows yeah.
Speaker 2:So I don't mean to cut you off but, that goes back to my point of saying everything in moderation. But if the doctor came to you and you have to adjust, if the doctor came to you and said you cannot eat any more rice or beans or tortillas for the rest of your life, and if you do you'll die, You're done. It's amazing when you think about that, when you hear news like that, you can change in an instant. So why can't we train our minds to be able to naturally change?
Speaker 3:well, I don't have a choice because you know there's a whole bunch of different types of diabetes. I'm the one that got that produced too much insulin, so it's like one out of a million they're saying. So I produce a lot of insulin, so what does that mean? If I have produced too much insulin, my sugar goes down and it's bad yeah I can feel it, I start shaking, I go.
Speaker 3:I know when the my sugar goes down, you know so usually. Sometimes it's good for me to have sugary things and it's bad at the same time, because how do I monitor that? It's not like I could just inject myself insulin. Clear Channel 7, 5, news. You know what I'm saying? It's going to be like what the heck? But now the doctor is telling me that if I don't take care of myself, I will end up going to pre-diabetic.
Speaker 1:We're glad you're taking all the steps to do that you have to do because I mean, if you think about it, I always wondered why is it so easy to pick up bad habits and it's so hard to pick up good habits? You know what I'm saying? Like if you think about all the people in the world. Dude like cereal pancakes waffles, french toast. That's not breakfast, that's dessert. Yeah, you know, dessert for breakfast. That's so bad for you. But in the whole world. It's so normal.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But not only that. Like I just think, like right now, every year I always try to better myself in any way that I can. But it's like why is it so hard?
Speaker 2:My breakfast lately. I mean it's consistent At nine in the morning, for I'll throw out a piece of fish or scallops or something like that. Breakfast breakfast I make a big ass. Salad of greens wow, I throw beets in there, pistachios, almonds um mandarin oranges. So the sugar that I'm trying to take in is all from natural yeah, natural, like fruit and stuff, yeah and stuff like that. So none of the the high fructose corn syrup that's the worst stuff for you.
Speaker 2:yes, um, I've done a lot of research on it and that's something that I found, but again, everything these days is bad for you. Now they say that alcohol is going to give you cancer.
Speaker 3:I mean we're not going to give that up. Not to say alcohol. I stopped drinking beer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, beer, I mean, that's a big one too, yeah.
Speaker 3:I stopped drinking beer, especially for the weight game.
Speaker 2:I mean tequila.
Speaker 3:it's like you're drinking a vegetable, it's made from agave, which is a cactus, so it's the healthiest. But it's not like I get hammered, but you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:They say if you're going to drink something like that tequila is one of the best things for you to drink.
Speaker 3:Well, now that you said that you know usually my dad when we were growing up at home. Oh, I got an upset stomach.
Speaker 1:Oh, I got an upset stomach. Oh, okay, hold on A little bit of te relo mijo, you know You're 13 years old, giving you a shot of tequila.
Speaker 3:Yeah, drink this. Are you sure I'm only 12. It's fine here.
Speaker 1:But you know what?
Speaker 3:And you drink it and it actually just calms it down.
Speaker 1:I don't know about that. One time.
Speaker 2:I, then you woke up and the sore throat was gone yeah, it was like magical yeah, but you know it's, it's, it's all culture sometimes you know,
Speaker 1:you're mexican italian mexican, irish a little bit majority yeah irish but you know, a lot of times culture has a lot to do with that you know, like us being mexican, like in the morning, it's just dude for me, tortillas it's like I'm.
Speaker 3:I would rather eat with a tortilla over than a spoon and a fork any day any day, and that's why you know we're talking about that stuff, and that's just how it is, bro. Um, I could eat some tortillas though. I could go easily.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you gotta be careful, because the doctor said not to doctor said not to. Um. I want to get a little bit into everything that you do. Yeah, because, um, for those of you guys who don't know one, you're mostly known for your singing correct. Yeah, but not only are you a singer, you're also a chef uh, yes, chef, you were a magician.
Speaker 2:I was a magician, yeah, a singer, a suit designer.
Speaker 1:Yep, a little bit of everything, bro, so I want to kind of dive into each of those topics and you can tell us a little bit of everything, bro. So I want to kind of dive into each of those topics and you can tell us a little bit of the story. And I want to start off with since we're talking about food you, the chef chef.
Speaker 2:So, uh, I opened my restaurant when I was 25, um, and it was an amazing run. I had always wanted to open a restaurant. Uh, I I won't elaborate a ton on this, but the opportunity kind of fell into my lap and ended up opening the restaurant 20 November of 2018. And no idea what I was doing. As far as the food side goes, I mean, I would burn water like that's. That's how bad it was.
Speaker 1:So I how did how?
Speaker 2:did the? How did you get into the cooking, though? So the cooking aspect came when, because I wouldn't open a restaurant if I didn't know how to cook. Yeah, so the cooking aspect came when I ended up having to learn from the restaurant. My head chef that I had there, You're funny bro.
Speaker 2:My head chef that I had there ended up leaving very unexpectedly and I'm like what am? What am I gonna do? Because, that's all I had and I didn't know any other chefs that I wanted. I was getting a different outlook, to want to change the menu, change the, the aspect, the ambience of the restaurant, of course, and after he left I'm like, okay, well, now this gives me the freedom to do this, but I don't know exactly what I want to do so I ended up having to close the restaurant.
Speaker 2:This all happened within a few days, I mean wow three days ended up closing the restaurant shortly after we opened a couple months I. This is when uh master class came out online yeah and I paid for both of gordon ramsay's master classes wow.
Speaker 1:And now you would think in the master class is like it's okay, they're teaching you these specific recipes yeah that's not what this specific one was it's like you're already a professional perfecting even more uh, in a sense, but remember, I didn't know how to cook at this point at all.
Speaker 3:He was burning my ruchan yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I, I bought masterclasses and I studied them. I mean, I'm not kidding you. For For a week straight, no sleep. I probably wasted over $2,000 worth of food. Wow.
Speaker 1:Trying to cook Exactly.
Speaker 2:I mean, it shows you everything or he teaches the class. They weren't cheap, that's for sure, but he goes through every aspect, from sharpening a knife to how to cut, to how to sear something, how to tell the proper temperature of a fish when a fish is done, just methods. And that's what I learned, and I took all of that and incorporated that into my own style of cooking and what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2:And anything I've ever put my mind to. I've always had my set goals. But I think, as we were talking about adjustments and adjusting to life on the spot, I've always been really good at that and I've prided myself in that and thank God that it gave me that gift, because a lot of people can't work well under pressure and me it was like, boom, I'm going to do whatever I have to do Survival mode right away bow and arrow archery.
Speaker 2:I'm hunting for my food, uh, so that's how I ended up learning how to cook and, uh, release the menu, and in the beginning there was a couple of hiccups, but by the time we closed we had one of the best reputations in Northwest Indiana, for not only the customer service of my restaurant, all of the people that came in. They weren't known as customers, they were all my guests and that's the vision that I had for my restaurant was I wanted every person that walked in everybody, vip yes we didn't have a vip title.
Speaker 2:If you didn't make reservation, I'm sorry, but they were waiting before you wow, you know you don't get that special treat. I mean even my own family.
Speaker 3:They would walk in last minute on a friday night, right before dinner service can't do that, and I'm like I'm sorry, did you call?
Speaker 2:no, I'm in the back cooking, yeah, and uh, you know I have a dining room full of guests and uh, yeah, so that's what it ended up turning into. As far as the cooking, that's how I learned um and now I cook at home five, six days a week. My wife loves it.
Speaker 1:I was gonna see if your wife must love you she loves it.
Speaker 2:I told her after I was dinner after I learned oh, tonight it's. I already asked her. I'm like, babe, can you thaw me out a piece of red snapper and some of the Mediterranean greens?
Speaker 1:We're going to head out for dinner. You guys come on over.
Speaker 2:I mean it's a little dry at Valpo, but that probably won't be ready until 10. That'll be my second meal of the day.
Speaker 3:That's fine. I go to sleep at 3 in the morning. Me too, that's why, we eat late.
Speaker 2:But yeah, that, um, but yeah, that's essentially how I learned how to cook, because I had to. Yeah, I took those classes and now it's. I can go into a pantry and come up with something out of whatever I have and they're like kind of like the what chopped yeah unchopped. When they just they're given those certain ingredients, you got to make something out of it, bam I got it.
Speaker 1:That's amazing, bro. I love that story because I didn't. This is my first time actually hearing the full story and what I like about it and one of the things that I like about you a lot is because when you meet people, the average person would have given up, would have left, the restaurant would have been abandoned, but you took action. You were like dude. I have no other option but to learn.
Speaker 2:You wasted your money, you waste I wouldn't say wasted.
Speaker 1:You invested your time, one of the best investments your time you invested your money into all of that and, like you said you, it was packed. It sounds like a movie man yeah it sounds like a movie it was uh.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I learned that one day when he came to the house and I'm like I was all scared, oh he was I get that because he cooks for us.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep the, the salmon yeah and, uh, you had it. I was like, did you put it in there? Did you thaw it out first or did you throw it in there frozen? And he's like no, I just threw it in there frozen. He was on the phone with you. He's like man, but I don't know, you might want to pick up something else, because there's all this white shit coming out of it and I'm like okay, that's normal especially when you throw it in frozen bro.
Speaker 3:And I turn around and look at him, he's like you know, I'm a professional cook, right, and I'm like what Well.
Speaker 1:I think that's when you could have worked your magic.
Speaker 2:And then he asked me or I asked him. I said how long did you leave it in or how long has it been in? He goes about 10 minutes. I'm like 20 minutes, we'll check it yeah and then we ended up talking and I'm like, bro, you didn't take out the salmon. I'm like, how long has it been? He's like 40 minutes.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh man yeah, that shit was pretty.
Speaker 2:It was pretty dry, but it was good though, yeah but the one thing I did notice, the biggest, he seasoned everything, as long as he seasoned it had flavor. It had flavor. So that is first and foremost thanks if it's overdone and it has flavor, I'll still eat it. Yeah, but when? When you have no flavor?
Speaker 3:I was freaking out making shrimp, bringing shrimp out. Yeah, no, he's like what are you doing?
Speaker 2:you're a pro d DJ man, not a cook, and you do what you can, and that's what matters exactly now, you learn little by little, but you season well thank you, we can't do everything man we're not we're not multi-talented like Blake over here well, I used to work at a smoke shop too, that's a talent in itself speaks. How many jobs have you had?
Speaker 1:go ahead I me, I'll have a habit go ahead, tell me, tell us, your careers that you've had well we are going to lose, okay.
Speaker 3:So I'm a dj, I'm a certified mechanic through ford for hybrid electronics, I know how to drive a tow truck. I know how to cook uh, smoke ribs, briskets.
Speaker 2:You know wings I didn't know that yeah, I worked at a smoke shop. That's what I meant. I thought you meant no, I thought he meant A cigarette, no when they sell the bombs. And all.
Speaker 3:No, and then I worked at a food truck In Seattle Washington, was a A chef At a taco truck. I have my own business Called Chico's Tacos. I was posted up on 87th and Buffalo Setting tacos when the concert they have for david matthews yeah oh, so the concert they have for david matthews was so.
Speaker 2:It was your tacos that they dropped all the shit over the the bridge in chicago onto onto the boat of people.
Speaker 3:Remember that no, it wasn't that one. You don't remember that. No, I don't remember that they literally dave matthews band.
Speaker 2:They were known or it was all over the news. They were driving their tour bus over one of the I forget which bridge in Chicago and they dumped their shit from the tour bus.
Speaker 3:Oh.
Speaker 2:And it fell onto a bunch of people that were on one of the tour boats on Chicago and went all over their face.
Speaker 1:That's insane. Look it up Crazy.
Speaker 2:I promise you this happened. This was years ago, but it did happen.
Speaker 3:So that's why that's what I thought. Oh man, Was it your tacos? No, I hope not. You said I just seasoned good. And then I know how to put shingles on the roofer, siding, drywall painting, install flooring, water restoration.
Speaker 1:He's got me way deep bro. I'm telling you, bro Snow removal Yep Winch outs.
Speaker 3:I didn't hear lawn care yet.
Speaker 2:Oh no, oh, I didn't hear lawn care yet. Oh no, you call me for that, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then I know how to cook salmon for 45 minutes straight.
Speaker 2:You've lived a great life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he really has, and he still has a long way to live, yeah, Security too. A couple of security jobs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, risking your life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was pretty fun. Oh, a good one, repoing cars, that was fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I used to watch Operation Repo all the time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, repoing cars Dangerous business. What else? I think that's it.
Speaker 1:That's a good list, bro, and that's why I say everybody's talented. It's a sport.
Speaker 2:Everybody's talented in their own way, though I mean every single person in this world is talented. People typically look at oh, you're so talented as a singer, as an actor, as a comedian, as a magician, somebody in the entertainment field.
Speaker 3:But no doctors are talented mechanics are talented, yeah, mechanic I wouldn't even know, I wouldn't even know where to start with something like that. Um, oh, one more thing I know how to play eight different instruments do you really?
Speaker 2:yes, sir, I didn't know that either. Yeah, Wow so he's like a prodigy. He's talented yeah.
Speaker 3:Prodigy yeah.
Speaker 1:And I'm still single. Yes, he is. That makes two of us bro. Hey, what about you, Blake?
Speaker 2:He's like Kevin Hart in Think Like a man, Bitch.
Speaker 1:I am married um, I want to get into the like I said. I read your caption on instagram um, speaking of marriage, you, you got engaged after just dating your now wife for six months. Yep, yep, six months that's insane, bro.
Speaker 2:I think it's just one of those stories you just know when you know. I suppose, six months, six months, yeah, dude, you do that yeah, because if I'm talking to a girl for six months, like he's a retired.
Speaker 3:You're still barely getting to know her I mean hey, but when you know?
Speaker 1:you know, they say when you know, you know. And my wife the three divorces my wife is.
Speaker 2:My wife is 12 years older than me.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, uh, yeah, she's 12 years older than me, so she had to take care of you huh, she rocked the cradle a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 12 years older than me. It's the yin and the yang. She actually just made a post the other day about opposites attracting, and I couldn't find that to be more true, because we really were very opposite. She's a homebody, she loves to be at home, that's like her comfort zone, whereas for me, going out and networking is my comfort zone.
Speaker 2:I don't like to be at home. Obviously, I make time for my home life, but I would much rather be out than at home in the bed watching a movie. So we find a balance. But it was just one of those situations where you know when you we've been together 10 and a half, going on 11 years. Um, we're going to be. We're been married for five and a half years. See, watch this camera watching me think, okay, I'm trying to add in my head and don't worry, I was never good at math. Um, so yeah, going on six years of marriage in July and we are actually the best that we've ever been in 10 and a half years in our relationship. So you've got to go through that trial and that error of marriage and relationship.
Speaker 2:And they say that women mature far more quicker than men. Do I believe it? So well, I won't. Even they can do the math. They know how old I am already now, so they can do the math, but I was younger in this entertainment field when we first met. So, yeah, there was a lot of arguing. Of course, there was a lot of me coming home at 3 am from events, but in the beginning she always said like I'm there for you, I support you. I think it's when she started to really see it that it was a reoccurring, often thing, Like okay, if I have an event that I'm doing out in rockford and the event doesn't end until 11, I'm definitely not getting home until at least three in the morning exactly by the time I break down and everything, um, and then you know the arguments happen.
Speaker 2:But we ended up working through it and coming to a median and it takes a very strong woman to be with somebody like us in this business yeah, in the entertainment, especially if they're homebodies and they don't want to be with somebody like us in this business, yeah, in the entertainment industry, especially if they're homebodies, and they don't want to be out all the time because she's welcome to every single one of my events that I do, of course, of course. But she also works at the hospital.
Speaker 3:She's a phlebotomist, so she's a first responder.
Speaker 2:She's in real estate as well. Wow, so she's a real estate agent in Illinois and Indiana.
Speaker 1:Wow no-transcript.
Speaker 2:It's okay, it's past us. We've you just learn as a couple, and that's what takes the most for successful relationships to last forever. You look at a couple that's been married for 40 years and you wonder how many times did they have to forgive each other in 40 years to make it here? Yeah you just have to do it because you love the person.
Speaker 1:So, no, I love everything that you're saying, bro, and maybe, maybe you could give me some advice where you can give us some advice. And the reason why I say this is because I I don't know sometimes if I have trouble dating, if it's a personal thing or if it's because I feel like I. So this is. We're going to be straight up, raw and honest here. For me, like I haven't met a woman yet, it's been a really long time since I've talked to anyone seriously, and sometimes I don't put myself out there for the reason of being so busy being in the entertainment industry. I don't think it's fair that I tell a woman like you know what I can only see you like two times a week past, like 10 30 pm, you know um. So I don't know if that's just me, like using that as an excuse, or if it's maybe like genuine. Like you know, I'm not ready to give my time to a woman because I don't think that that's fair I mean I think.
Speaker 2:So I'll start with. I think that it's um not in anyone's best interest to give relationship advice to anybody?
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course.
Speaker 2:And I'll finish.
Speaker 3:But he'll give you advice and then you'll take it from there.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. So I don't like to give advice in general. I like to give what I would do in my situation, if I was put in that situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I do know that sometimes people ask for advice because they want to hear something and they're going to do the complete opposite usually they want to hear what they want to hear when they're asking for advice, so people that are real with people.
Speaker 2:I I really stick to this and I've learned this very much in the past year and a half. When you're asking for somebody for advice, uh, you shouldn't just have to ask, because the people that are close to you are just going to kind of tell you if you bring up the topic yeah so that's what I mean by I say nobody else should be giving relationship advice. I shouldn't have to tell you.
Speaker 2:This is what you need to do exactly so, with that being said, I'm going to start off with saying you're going to know when the time's right only you are going to know that.
Speaker 2:Number number one, number two I think it's great that you are taking that into consideration for somebody else and thinking that it's not fair to her that I'm going to have to tell this to her. Then right now isn't the time for you and it's just going to come naturally. And when it happens, you are going to know when it's going to happen, are going to know when it's going to happen. This right person is going to walk into your life and you're going to start going out. Things, feelings are going to start progressing, the feeling is going to build in all aspects and they're sticking around once that relationship starts lasting a lot longer than you even intended. They're sticking around because they want to.
Speaker 2:Anybody has the choice to leave whenever they want, yeah. The fact that you would bring it up right away and be honest with them that's one of the biggest keys is honesty, yeah. And if you can be real like that and they're willing to be okay with it, then you have something there. So that would be how I see it in that situation is right now is just not your time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because one of my biggest things right now is I'm 29 years old, I'm I'm entering 30. Um, and I don't know if you went through this, but, um, I do have a full-time job. You know, I work at a credit union full-time, but I don't even mention that.
Speaker 1:I don't even mention that anymore because, like, I really put passion into my outside, into content creating, into choreography, into event planning, so I want to be known as that, because that's what I consider my job. And I do get a little insecure when I talk to women who are maybe paralegal nurses, engineers, and you know, I feel like they have a career, they're set, and I'm kind of just like, well, you, I'm, I'm a content creator or I'm a choreographer, you know. So I feel like it's. It's kind of like when do you, when do you stop chasing your dreams? You know, because for me it's like never exactly I'm actually glad you you brought that up.
Speaker 3:Never in any.
Speaker 2:Any woman, or the woman that you're meant to be with, is going to see that in you and love like my wife yeah she has never told me to not pursue something that I've brought up to her exactly um as far as a new goal or a dream, or.
Speaker 2:She's known this from the beginning and I made it very clear from the beginning this is my business, this is my life, this is what I do. I was so lucky to be able to find her that has put up with all of it for all these years, tolerated it, gone through the lonely nights of me being in a hotel room for two days and not seeing her. That was just even this past weekend. So it'll happen. But you got to stop looking for it or subconsciously thinking to yourself like, oh man, I'm getting older now and what am I going to do? Don't focus on that.
Speaker 1:Focus on what you're doing, right now because it is going to come and another thing that affects me a lot, too, is comparing myself to others. And another thing is being, if you think about it traditionally, the Mexican man always wants to supply A man always wants to supply Traditionally absolutely think about it traditionally, the mexican man always wants to supply.
Speaker 1:A man always wants to supply, absolutely. So for me, bro, like there could be and you know how this works is there could be a year and this is just me throwing out random numbers, they're not accurate there could bea summer where you make, let's just say, five thousand dollars. There could be a summer where you make twenty, thirty thousand dollars. You know what I'm saying. So for me, it's like I always want to financially supply and it's just like in this industry it's up, it's down, it's not steady it's never guaranteed.
Speaker 1:It's never guaranteed. There might be a month where you make you get booked, booked, booked, booked, booked, and then winter comes and you're at home and you're not making as much. You know what I'm saying. Like I think about all that stuff because I just I compare myself to others who have, you know, steady jobs, steady income, and they just you know and it's. But it's different because I was telling my mom, like dude, I never, ever want to give up on what I'm doing.
Speaker 2:You know, that's never, that's where I see where you would have to decide within yourself the separation, and especially at the age that you're at now I'm talking like I'm 60 you know, you gotta get off my lawn and you would say that, though, get off my lawn oh yeah, but at the age you're at now, this is where and you've already got your head on your shoulders, um, and, like you, remind me of me just how I've always been, and that's why we click so well um, where you make that decision and really sit down, do some self-reflection and say, okay, you already I feel like you've made it very clear, you're never never gonna give up.
Speaker 1:Okay, so then you already made your decision. I know, it's just, it's hard man it is hard, but we're.
Speaker 2:Would you rather be on your deathbed wondering what? If where would I be if I didn't give up? I've been performing in entertainment professionally since I was 11. That's when I did my first paid birthday party with the magic, and I am still entertaining professionally. I'm booked almost 150 shows a year.
Speaker 2:Wow, at 30, almost 32, because I never gave up yeah if I would have stopped when I was 18, who knows where I'd be yeah and I'm so much happier that I'm here now being able to make people happy for a living because we love what we do exactly, and so if I would give okay, here's an instance where I would give advice don't ever give up on something that you are passionate about in in the moment or something you've been passionate about for your entire life, because you don't want to have that regret on your deathbed of course back and say I could have been here or could I have done that, and that'll be on your mind until the day you die yeah, so I'm glad you guys brought that up, because sometimes I compare myself to my brothers
Speaker 1:oh yeah, because they're completely different fields.
Speaker 3:I even tell my mom like hey, are you even proud of me? I don't even got a good career like how my brothers do. One of my brothers, my twin brother, he's a certified mechanic for Jeep, chrysler and Dodge, and my little brother he's a pipe fitter. So they're all set for life. You know, and I tell my mom, I'm like you're not like disappointing me. I finished high school but I don't have a career like my brothers and sometimes I put myself down. I even told you that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, you know, and, like I said, comparing yourself, Comparing exactly, but look at all the stuff you've done.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You were just at the Latino billboards, yeah, so there is no comparison, bro.
Speaker 3:Actually shout out to Fernando for that one.
Speaker 2:Are you happy with what you do?
Speaker 3:I am actually very happy what I do.
Speaker 2:Now and you don't have to answer this.
Speaker 3:No, go ahead, it's just something I thought of. We talk about everything.
Speaker 2:Okay, so are your brothers? Are they happy with what they're doing? Or they're just doing it because of the money, because it's security, or are they just? Oh, I gotta go to work in the morning I gotta get the same schedule.
Speaker 3:They both love what they're doing and I have spoken to them about, okay, what they do and I did, and they say don't compare yourself with us, because you have done a lot more what we have done Then you have a lot more support on your end than you even realize.
Speaker 3:My little brother was like do you travel? He's like you meet artists, celebrities, you know people from Telemundo. I never thought in a million years, when Blood In and Blood Out came out I was watching the movie that I was going to work with, you know, magic, miklo and Cruzito. Never in a million years.
Speaker 2:Yep to work with you. Know magic, miclo and crucito. Yeah, never in a million years.
Speaker 3:Yep, so there you go. It's like that's your answer, right there. Chris perez too I was with him not too long ago. Wow, and it's like I think.
Speaker 1:A lot of it is imposter syndrome. I mean, do you deal with that? Because you said you're 31 31, going on 32 in august yeah yeah, so um you haven't you have an album out let's talk about that.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about that. Yeah, let's see about that. Let's see it. I got it, you got it. Yep, I got it right here. We released that last year. It's called One and Only One and Only Blake Alexander, Right here.
Speaker 1:So what does this album mean to you right here?
Speaker 2:That album. That was one of the goals a long-term goal that I made quite a few years back. The album alone took us three years to put together and release. Wow, I mean I could elaborate on the stories with this album. I'm not going to dive too far deep into it. Essentially, I always wanted my own original music because I've been doing covers for so long and in this business you know that's how everybody starts. You got to start with covers because you don't have any original music, unless you're just a genius composer and you blow up because of your original stuff. But usually to make money you have to do these shows, you have to do these gigs and you're doing cover songs. I ended up meeting my musical director and after okay rewind, so I went to high school with a genius.
Speaker 2:his name was roland limb and he was a few years older than me and we kind of always just clicked from the beginning. We were never super close, um, just more or less acquaintances, but we always got along very well whenever we saw each other after high school. He never had a Facebook. Maybe two years or so after high school he pops up on my Facebook friends and I'm like Roland man, I haven't seen him in forever. So I add him as a friend, he accepts me and I start stalking his profile. I'm like what's he been up to? And I see he's still doing music and he's got a studio.
Speaker 2:And I reached out to him and sent him a message. I'm like, bro, I had no idea that you did this stuff. I'm actually singing professionally now. I stopped doing the magic a few years back because the singing is just taking over with all the bookings. He says awesome, where are you playing at? Maybe I'll come and see you sometimes. So that particular evening or it was the next day possibly I sent him where I was performing. He ends up showing up like towards the end of the show, like maybe the last 40 minutes or something, and I was stunned to see him walk in.
Speaker 3:I'm like no way he showed up, he showed up.
Speaker 2:And he comes and chats with me after the show. He goes dude, your voice is amazing, like I have some things that I want to talk to you about. There's a slew of music that we have just like in the vault and I think your voice would fit perfectly with some of this stuff. We ended up working together. We released the first original single, which was Love Again. That was years ago, that's on the album, but we released that. And then I met Tyler Nyman through him, and he is my musical director. He's a composer, he's a genius, he plays an insane amount of instruments and his mind with writing music is insane.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of people on the album, but that's how the project came about was myself, tyler and Roland, and then we just started talking, okay, what kind of styles and voice notes, back and forth, back and forth and I had the restaurant at this time as well.
Speaker 2:So it's like to work on that the restaurant and my bookings and my contracts and performing, and the suits and the payroll and the guests and the reservations, and I was very overwhelmed during that time, but we ended up doing it and released it after three years. Finally, and that's why it was we were trying to come up with a title for the album and this was far prior when we came up with a song, one and Only, and Tyler asked me. He said what is a phrase or something that would describe you that you would want the album to be called? And I said One and Only, because people tell me all the time like dude, you are just one of a kind, like you're goofy. Oh, my god, there's Blake again and most people wouldn't realize that about me, I am a goofball, like yeah, you are definitely are.
Speaker 2:I'm on the stage.
Speaker 2:It's a lot different because I'm in a professional setting uh, but when I'm out and about or with people I'm really comfortable with, like I am, I'm a nut. So I said one and only is is perfect. And then we started writing the song with that um, all of the songs are different on there and we spaced everything out. So each song from one, two, three, four, five. We wanted it to be like a roller coaster. So the beginning is like that speak easy vibe that goes into this big jazzy feel, um, and then so on and so on. So there's like a little bit of a country vibe with moving on with rock okay like chris daughtry yeah
Speaker 2:that's like moving on, um, tear me in. Two is like 60s, uh, like swing type vibe, um, let's see, want to be with her. No, that's the first one. Uh, one and only is more or less mainstreamish, yes, mainstream pop, uh, and my favorite is on that one is I love you more. I love you more. Yeah, that is one of my favorites. It's, if you think, you know, bruno mars, ish, um, it picks up, it starts with just like piano, it's a ballad, but then it like has a beat to it and it's. The lyrics are so powerful in that, yeah, so, yeah, I mean that's just a little bit of back end on the album and I mean there were so many people involved with it and that's why it took us so long to release that people don't understand.
Speaker 1:It's not just record. And it's not recorded, then release.
Speaker 2:I mean you can essentially, if you want a product that is just not going to be as this is a project.
Speaker 1:Yes, that was a project.
Speaker 2:It's not just Everything, from the photo to the artwork to the cases designing the cases the logo. The logo bringing in the musicians for that. So 98-ish 95, 98% of that album is all live musicians.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:The rest is maybe it's like an electronic keyboard or some different effects or something on the back end, but every musician to bring them in, so three horn players, for instance, and the horns are on three of the songs To bring them in for a session. You got to coordinate the timing. One is from like Bolingbrook, with the other one Orland and the other one Indiana, and the studio is in Olympia Fields To coordinate everybody. To come into the studio together at a certain time.
Speaker 1:Then you get one song I was going to say and to get it right, Because if not, they got to come back and then you get one song done and then you got to schedule the next session and that also costs a lot of money.
Speaker 2:A lot of money Because, because you've got to pay the musicians each for their time, their day and that was another setback that we had with the album was just the money. I put in pretty much everything I had into the album and that's why I did the GoFundMe for it. I did not want to do the GoFundMe. I had so much pride I just never liked asking yeah, no. And then Roland and Tyler one day said to me they're like blake, think about it this way, put the pride aside, you have so many people that support you and want to help you in some type of way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you do it and you only raise a hundred bucks, that's a hundred dollars that you didn't have exactly. I'm like you got a point, so made the post. We had the goal and it raised, I want to say, just under $6,000. Wow, yeah. So that helped tremendously with that release, getting everybody else paid, and there was plenty of people that did me favors and I had IOUs and I sent them $20 here and there and had everybody scheduled on payment plans and stuff.
Speaker 2:But we finally got it done.
Speaker 3:It's finally released, so I finally have my own platform of music that I can relate to Make sure you guys go check it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's Blake Alexander, one and only on. Spotify. Is it just Spotify or Spotify and Apple?
Speaker 2:Spotify, apple Music, you can tell Alexa, alexa, play Blake Alexander, one and only Boom.
Speaker 3:Nice, I can be in your living room, I can be in the bedroom I can be in your shower make sure you guys put it off for the bedrooms, for valentine's is around the corner ladies and gentlemen, I don't know about some of those songs, but uh yeah, let me ask you this um your style, the genre, it's very unique it is, and the reason why I say that is because the average person coming up in music or in the industry would not pick this genre.
Speaker 1:No, it's either going to be like rap, hip-hop or kind of like a rock or alternative. Yeah, I want you to describe the genre and how you got into it.
Speaker 2:The genre.
Speaker 1:that's a good question, Because like you said you compare yourself to Michael Bublé a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like Frank Sinatra, vibes, bruno Marsuno, mars. Yeah, when people ask you know what genre do you do? I mean I pretty much do everything. I love all types of music, but a style that fits me would be more or less I always say buble just got lucky and came before me, because him and I it's like I'll watch videos of him and I'm you're like damn, I was like this before I even knew who he was because let me tell you this booblase, because you guys are very similar.
Speaker 2:Um, there can't be another one of them, because there already is him, exactly, you know, and it's like yeah, he's already known for yeah, yeah, so like you like that on that I know.
Speaker 2:So he's already known for doing like the old, the covers and and stuff like that. There was also har Harry Connick Jr, okay, which was very similar to Buble, but Buble blew up a lot more. So my style was I just because I was so well-rounded with different genres of music and I appreciated like 70s, 60s, 50s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, so on, I wanted to come up with essentially like my own genre of music, putting a modern feel to old composition, if you will. So not necessarily using like a boom boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Speaker 2:So not necessarily like reusing those chords, but coming up with my own style of chords in that sense, but putting a modern, like modern beats, modern effects, similar to megan trainer yeah, so I'll say this if I'm gonna compare to what my genre would be like because I'm up and coming and I don't have a platform to stand on it would be if you were to take bruno mars, robin thick me, megan Trainor especially she's amazing Maroon 5.
Speaker 1:Love.
Speaker 2:Maroon 5.
Speaker 1:And smash that all together you get you.
Speaker 2:That's kind of what it would be like in a nutshell, and that's why the album is so rounded with the music. I mean, there's the ballads, there's that rock country vibe with Moving On, there's the speakeasy, swingish um. Then there's 60s like twist and then I love you more, which is like that mainstream love song. That's just like damn. This is awesome I can't wait.
Speaker 1:I listened to, I've listened to some of the album. I can't wait to listen to all of it yeah, yeah um.
Speaker 3:You also sing in spanish here oh yeah, he and there I do here and there.
Speaker 1:I saw a post on Instagram and you were doing a Vicente.
Speaker 2:Fernandez cover. Was it Estos Celos, estos Celos? That was the one. Te mire, te mire. Estabas tan bonita, tan sensual. Te imaginea y me hizo mal. Ay amor, I love that he did another one too.
Speaker 3:When I was at Misueño, he was performing. I don't remember he did Whitney Houston too that was a good video that was a good video.
Speaker 1:Volver was a good one. That was a good one. That's a lucky catch. Volver Volver too.
Speaker 2:Whenever I get married, you'll be my wife, oh, and I will be there for you in a heartbeat. Man, you'll be there performing yes, when you work in parties.
Speaker 1:You know what you want. Did you have a big wedding?
Speaker 2:Yes, well, yeah, we didn't have as big as I wanted, but we definitely did. We had over 200 people at the ceremony alone it was about 270, 280. Wow, yeah, and it was very unexpected. My initial list that I made was 400 guests. On my end because my wife said, okay, sit down, make your list of people and it's. It was listed individually did you get invited?
Speaker 3:and she no this is five years ago.
Speaker 2:So she looks at it and she goes babe, like you're just, you realize that you have to add a plus one. Yes, and I'm like, oh shit oh shit 800 people, 800 people yeah, so I had to really cut that down. She's like if you haven't talked to him within six months to a year Exactly. So, you know, because weddings aren't cheap. But thank God that I was in this business and I knew a lot of people in the industry that really helped me out with the venue, all sorts of stuff.
Speaker 1:When did the suit designing come into play?
Speaker 2:Suit designing came into play, so I was in the jewelry business for quite a few years. That was my first big retail job when I was 19.
Speaker 1:Did you?
Speaker 2:work at Alberts Not at Alberts, but Alberts absolutely amazing. And I really vouch for Alberts in general because they are just genuine people the entire family. They're so family-oriented, they take care of their staff like no other business. I mean, they're hands-on with every single person and they genuinely care about every single person that they have. That's working with them. But I worked for Rogers and Hollins and the funny thing is, with that I actually, after I met the owner of Alberts and him and I are actually very good friends I was buying. I was working at Rogers and Hollins and I was buying my jewelry from Alberts. I bought my wife's engagement ring from Alberts because we were that close and when you have a relationship with somebody like that, yeah, um, it really doesn't matter, so yeah, that's how you lost your job.
Speaker 2:No, no, I don't know, I didn't lose. That's why I left to the city, uh, to do the custom suit stuff. So I got a call, uh, when I was about 22 I want to say 22, 23 and an amazing gentleman named mike bernston. Um, he called me and I owe him so much gratitude for leading me into the city life and exposing my mind to be able to network, to excuse me, to be comfortable, just meeting new people, and it was a whole new world to me. Yes, um, so he, he had a 5 000 square foot penthouse, um, it was very exclusive, it was very private, it was one of those, if you only knew about this place or were invited by somebody, you would never realize where it was, what it was.
Speaker 2:So it was an event space and it was a custom clothier and we had a lot of high-end, top tier clients which I can't even say a lot of their names, but a lot of people from the city whether it's sports athletes, high profile attorneys, um judges, doctors, you name it they were up there. It's amazing and the parties were amazing the events were, I could only imagine yeah, they were.
Speaker 2:It was a lot of fun, but that exposed me to a whole new realm and also matured me yes, a lot because I got to you became a gentleman that, and I'm glad I got to experience a different side of the city when I was younger, so I knew kind of okay what to get involved in, what to not get involved in that type of thing. And so, anyway, I was in the business up until I opened the restaurant um, learned how. I always had a knack for designing and seeing color coordination, and I I've worn suits all my life. Uh, I asked for a tuxedo for christmas. I want to say I was seven or eight years old.
Speaker 2:I asked for my first tuxedo for christmas, so I've always appreciated the dress of a gentleman yeah, you know when you dress like a gentleman, and that's them from james bond and james bond and bob barker, oh, my mother would always have. Price is right, is on, and I just loved that. He was always in a different suit and he just looks so sharp and his hair was perfectly coiffed and it's like I want to be bob barker have your pets spayed and neutered. So, anyway, I might be getting off topic, but the custom suit business, uh, was absolutely amazing. I met so many great people, so many great friends nick roy, uh, gentleman rich moran, and these are people that I still talk to to this day, uh, just kind of in my, my circle of people. So I really appreciate the opportunity that I was given to go down there. But then, you know, I started veering off to have this restaurant opportunity and that's when I opened the restaurant after after I left downtown.
Speaker 2:I love that I still do the customs stuff to this day. I still do the customs stuff to this day. It's just more on the private end, so I'll just go to my clients' homes or offices, meeting spaces, but yeah, I do everything from custom overcoats to pants, to jackets or just jackets, just trousers, but suits as well.
Speaker 1:Did you design your suit for your wedding? I did Nice. Can you explain the suit to us? I haven't seen a picture of it.
Speaker 2:I'll show a picture of it. It was white paisley. It had a red accent buttonhole, white lining we did on the inside, just because if I did something, dark I wouldn't want it to kind of bleed through the outer fabric. And then the monogram I put forever love. And then our wedding date on there Buttonholes. The last buttonhole was red and then the rest of the buttonholes were black.
Speaker 3:It was, I think, like James Bond-esque yeah red and then the rest of the buttonholes were black. It was, I think, like James Bond-esque.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Shawl lapel ticket pockets. The pockets were slanted, so, yeah, it had like a paisley design. How long did it take you to come up with that, the design for the wedding jacket? Oh, I sat down and I said, okay, here's the fabric I wanted. And I just had an image in my mind. I like this, this, this, this and bam yep so it's taking for you to get that in
Speaker 2:um, about a month and a half. So with all my clients I can have something expedited within two weeks. It's a substantial expedite fee yeah from from my manufacturer, uh, but that's the quickest turnaround that I've had. And yeah, and essential turnaround is between four to six weeks, unless it's christmas time. Christmas time it's a little bit longer than that, just depends on how busy the manufacturer is.
Speaker 2:So, the consultation starts with sitting down. You select your fabric. That's the first step, and then you go into all the design details. So it's the lining, the monogram. There's so many details.
Speaker 2:You would not even fathom what goes into the designing, even the pick stitching on the outside, when you open it up on the lining on the inside there's something called piping and that's what goes around the edge of the lining that separates that from the fabric of the jacket on the inside. So there's so many design details that go into it that all first time plans I'm like a lot between an hour and a half and two hours for a first time.
Speaker 2:Depending on how decisive you are, exactly If you already know what you want, we can arrange that stuff before. I can send you photos of some fabrics, and those are the ones that I'll bring.
Speaker 3:Wow You're going to make me a suit one day.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:You make shiny suits.
Speaker 1:You're a very very interesting guy, man You've just done so much with all the things that you've done in your career. When was it? Do you think that you had that moment where you were like I think I made it, or have you not?
Speaker 2:had that moment. No, I don't think I've had that moment yet.
Speaker 1:Or maybe like this is where you know.
Speaker 2:When it started to really pick up. Yes, that's a good one, I want to say. Probably the album release.
Speaker 1:That was one of the big ones because you've performed, like I said, soldier field, white sock, stadium, emmys um windy city live when you see live was a big one.
Speaker 2:There's there's no one break there. You get a million breaks yeah, you know in, especially in this business, and people like us were always looking okay goal, cross it off done what's, what's next, what's next?
Speaker 2:so I don't feel like we can ever get to the end to be completely satisfied of having the I made it moment. I think I get a lot of those moments throughout my uh, or throughout my career. I've definitely had a lot of those moments. So, performing the white socks stadium, the national anthem there, that was huge for me. It's like I, after I was done performing the first thing I did, I walked off. I asked my wife I'm like how did I do? I feel like it's some shit she's like baby, you were great.
Speaker 3:She's like you didn't think that was one of your best ones you've done, or what would you say?
Speaker 2:as far as just the anthem, yeah, uh I don't know.
Speaker 1:You gotta ask the crowd. Yeah, I gotta ask I really don't know.
Speaker 2:I do my best to be consistent every time so how did you end up getting there?
Speaker 3:like, let's say, what was your first reaction when you got the opportunity to go there?
Speaker 2:I was, uh, shocked. I rarely get nervous. I rarely, honestly. I rarely nervous. I get more nervous in front of a crowd of five to seven people than I do in hundreds. Yeah, it's like because everybody's just mingling and you're not looking at one person. But when you realize that all seven eyes are on you and they're just staring at you, it's like I love the feeling because they're there to watch me, but it's also very nerve-wracking because it's such an intimate group. But the white socks tape I did get very nervous and I think it was overwhelming for me because it was that sense of that was one of the moments I made it that I felt, and after I asked my wife, like how did I do? The first thing that I thought of was I would. I never thought in a million years that I would have done that. And you know, years ago I was up in those bleachers watching these other people do it and 20 years ago I never thought I would be right there doing this for all these people. That's amazing.
Speaker 3:Basically similar to what I just said, like 10 minutes ago. Yeah, that's a beautiful feeling.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it really is man Beautiful.
Speaker 1:I got a question for all of us actually, so I'm'm gonna ask myself the questions here. Um, so a question that have that people always ask me a lot is what's the end goal? So you know, like, if you were to ask a doctor, like you know, when they're in high school, like you know what's your goal, it's like, oh, I want to go to college, I want to go to med school, I want to be a doctor. You know, like, that's my end goal. What's, uh, what's blake alexander's end goal?
Speaker 1:oh and what's DJ Speaks' end goal. You guys are already ready, because I don't think I have the answer to that question. And what triggered that question was because, like you said, we have a list of things that we want to do. So, for example, it's like you know what One day I want to perform at White Sox Check. Next thing I want to perform at United Center for the Bulls Check. You know what I'm saying? It's like every time that we do something, we think bigger.
Speaker 2:We think better.
Speaker 1:So sometimes I don't even think that there is an end goal, which is crazy, because it's like I do get satisfied, but it's like dude does nothing satisfy. Not that nothing satisfies me, but it's like we just keep thinking endlessly what's?
Speaker 2:next.
Speaker 1:What is next? But what would be an end goal for you? Do you think or like? What do you want to accomplish?
Speaker 2:at the end of the day, I I feel like my end goal would just be able to, which I don't know if this is going to happen. I don't know if I'm, you know, next week and I lose my voice it's going to happen where my voice is just gone. My end goal would just to be entertaining for the rest of my life. So that is my end goal is continuing to be entertaining for the rest of my life. So that is my end goal is continuing to do this for the rest of my life and look back and say I lived a great life.
Speaker 2:And I guess my next step goal is to have a band together like an actual band which it's really hard to do that in restaurants and like private events because of your space that you're in and that's why I have so many bookings with a lot of that stuff, because I'm a solo artist. People have budgets for certain things and if it's like an anniversary party say it's a 40th anniversary or even a 20 year anniversary and I'm called to go in but the room can only hold 150 people. There's 140 there.
Speaker 2:I only have a certain amount of space so I can't bring a bring a band yeah so my next goal is to get a band together, have a set list and be able to put on a show and sell tickets.
Speaker 3:Low price tickets because I'm just starting.
Speaker 2:I mean well not just starting, but starting in that aspect of being able to perform in theaters and have people pay to come and see my show. So I don't 20 bucks a ticket but you get to go out, have an amazing show with live music date night exactly, and that's where I feel that I really have to start. Uh, because that's what these big labels look at yes can you feel the seats?
Speaker 2:that's true um, and so that would be my next goal, but the end goal is for me to be performing. Just keep it for the rest of my life. Yeah, yeah I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that yo speaks. You do a lot, man. Like you said, you know, we started going to all these networking events. We traveled together and it's because we want to get the name out there. Um, what's, uh, what do you think is an end goal for you, for your career?
Speaker 3:I don't think there's an angle, because and what I do is that I'm not just a dj that does an event from 6 to 12. I'm also a promoter. I also do festivals, where recently I jumped onto Empanada Fest and I helped with the lineup of the entertainment and I've been with Fusic Fest a couple years already too, where I helped with the lineup as well.
Speaker 3:So the thing is that with me, since I'm a dj, I'm a entertainment company, I'm a promoter, I don't think there's an angle for me because you just want to keep going.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you keep on going. Yeah, you just keep doing it, you just keep booking, you just keep doing you, that's it keep on booking, keep on booking.
Speaker 3:You know, sooner or later I don't know I might be, you know, doing events at the hard rock or the Kosher Casino, or travel DJ at different states Colombia, overseas.
Speaker 2:The Bahamas.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the Bahamas, because you have to think about it, we're not just in Indiana. There's how many states we got in the map.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 3:And basically us. I want to say as an artist, as a DJ, even as a podcast company, what do you think our goal is? To hit every single state in the map. That's a good goal, man. You know what I'm saying? Because we want to get recognized not just in our hometown. How do you think these artists do it? They don't just sit there, they invest money and they go to different states.
Speaker 2:They go to the billboards they go to, you know, podcast companies or even if they don't invest money, because I mean, you look at some of these that are so broke, but they hustle their ass off and do whatever. Yeah, You've ever heard the saying? You know, does a crackhead wake up in the morning and just sit there and not be able to figure out a way to get their crack?
Speaker 1:No, up in the morning and just sit there and not be able to figure out a way to get there correct.
Speaker 2:no, it's a damn truth they figure that shit out and that's what, like our hustle is what makes us booked, what makes us who we are, and we're doing what we can to put our name out there, yeah so, yeah, so it's.
Speaker 3:You know I don't think there's an end goal for me because you know I also do events on my own, like you know. You know Ruben Ramirez. You know that's my first comedy show that I'm doing here in the state of Indiana. You know East Chicago to be exact. Yeah, why did I do that? Yeah, I never done bring comedians over. It's always artists. But you know what Scare money, make no money.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying? I think it's like your goal is just, you just want to keep expanding.
Speaker 2:You just keep going.
Speaker 1:There is no end goal for you.
Speaker 3:You're just going to keep going. There's no end goal. You know. We went to the billboards and what did the guy say? You know, do you need a team? You know, look at this table. It got four legs. Oh yeah, right, four legs, oh yeah right, yeah, and then you take one leg off. What's going to happen to the table?
Speaker 3:I love that analogy, yeah you know it's not going to be straight, it's going to be crooked. I love that. Fall over. Exactly you know what? I learned? That from the billboards going to the panels going to the panels, you know, and as we look at it as an investment, we want to learn, other people will look at it that's a waste of time yeah but you know, because not everybody has the same mentality as us through here yeah in the same room yeah, I love that speaks, I love that.
Speaker 1:Um, right now, I think what I realized is because, like you said, I'm kind of like you know, when you, when you're entering that 30, it's kind of scary you know, and I'm kind of just realizing like it doesn't matter how many followers I have, how much money I have.
Speaker 1:I think it's it's the impact that you make. Yeah, I have some cousins who who love to sing and you know they're in the age where they graduated high school and you know traditionally what you do is you go to college and she's like I really want to be a singer, but you know everybody's pursuing me to go to school. I not that I don't go to school. I think you should go to school if that's what you want to do, um, but if you want to be a singer, you have to put yourself out there. So what I do is I just try to motivate people. Do what you got to do. If you want to be a singer, put those videos on tiktok, put those videos on instagram. Go to a local restaurant. Hey, do you guys have a, like a on friday night, saturday nights? Can I? Can I sing, can I do covers here? You know what?
Speaker 1:I'm saying whatever you want to do is, I want to make an impact and I want to persuade people, to let you guys know that you guys can do whatever the fuck you want, everything's possible everything is possible. And I hate saying that because I contradict myself all the time. You know, like earlier I was just telling, just telling you it's like do I give up? Do I give up? Like, how am I over here sitting saying I'm going to give up, when I'm over here telling everybody to follow their dreams?
Speaker 2:You know, it's a lot easier to give advice oh man, give recommendations, yes Than it is sometimes to take our own knowledge and absorb that. But we're our own hardest critiques. We really are man and that's why you think that way, because you critique yourself so much that it's hard for you to just realize that you also have that potential and you're already making that a reality by doing what you're doing. Yeah, and you know that it's possible, but in the back of your mind, because we're not there yet.
Speaker 2:we want it so bad that we just think it's never, but in the back of their mind in the back of your mind because we're not there yet. Yeah, we just. We want it so bad, yes, that we just think it's never going to happen. But morgan freeman, for example, I forget the exact age that he was, but he didn't have his break until I think he was in his like 50s really, or something it was something wild like that.
Speaker 2:morgan freeman did not have his break until he was like in his 50s. There were so many different big entrepreneurs Colonel Sanders from KFC.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:He was super old before KFC really took off. And now, look at it, it's on every freaking street corner.
Speaker 1:And, like I said, you know comparing yourself to others. Every single person has their own path, every single person, and I'm going to try to take my own advice, but don't compare yourself to others. You do what you got to do.
Speaker 2:Your time will come, whether it's for a relationship, for your time to shine, for your time to make money, whatever it is, your time will come. Anything in life, anything, your time will come. You have that path. It's just focus on the straight. Yeah, even though we will hit some bumps and some curves, you keep that eye. What's at the end? Yeah, and just keep working toward and you'll get closer. As long as you do one thing every day, you one one thing every day.
Speaker 2:what is your? That's been another big thing within the past year that I've been working on, not just at the start of the year, but if you have one win for the day and you lay down at night and you're so you had a bad day and you're, you feel like you didn't get a lot accomplished and you're getting so down in yourself about that, what was your one win? And if you really can't think of anything at all for the day, which I've had a couple of these days I woke up today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's my that's my win.
Speaker 2:That's my, my win. I thank god that I woke up today and I live to see another day. Now, tomorrow, let's wake up and make a second win and a third win small wins small wins. Um, I think the positivity is something that a lot of people just fail to to bring to fruition and realize how much positive they actually did during the day, because they're so focused on the negative and that's only going to bring you down more and more and more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think every day we should strive to be at least 1% better.
Speaker 2:Yes, and after 100 days you're at 100% better than you were 100 days ago Exactly 100%, Blake.
Speaker 1:it's that time. It's that time where the podcast comes to an end.
Speaker 3:I have one question for him, go ahead, go ahead, throw it out. What gave you the idea to make a suit for your dog? Tell us about that.
Speaker 2:Oh, it wasn't for my dog, it wasn't for my dog.
Speaker 1:Oh, it wasn is a famous dog.
Speaker 2:He's got like 170,000 followers on Instagram and I met Sammy through some of my closest, closest friends. They're practically like family. Chris and Susie Malloy they own Second City Prime, which is the Rolls Royce of meat and seafood, so they ship worldwide next day. But it's like Wagyu. I mean, their scallops are like freaking hockey pucks.
Speaker 1:Oh, I need that.
Speaker 2:Their Wagyu meat. It is absolutely amazing. And Chris has built and blown up his business Just within the past five years. He has taken off tremendously. They have a huge warehouse and they're just expanding and expanding and expanding. That sounds like a lucky dog. Well, it's not their dog, whose dogs.
Speaker 3:Is it then?
Speaker 2:So they also own Butcher and the Bear downtown, which is. They opened just over a year ago now and it was one of Chicago's hottest new restaurants that opened within 2024.
Speaker 3:Is that the one that they give you a whole alligator out?
Speaker 2:Not an alligator no, no no, no, they're mainly focused on, like Wagyu speakeasy type oh okay, but Sammy ended up. They met Sammy's mom and dad, sammy's mom and dad. Sammy's mom and dad at the restaurant one evening and they kind of became friends and we sat down one night and I'm like never done a dog suit before, but let's try it let's, let's do it, let's do it you got two million views and uh, yeah, it was great and and sammy looked absolutely amazing in it.
Speaker 2:There was so many people you don't realize when you have something that does go viral like that, people are going to comment. It's nothing but negative stuff, oh yeah they can't just appreciate. So you got to just put that on the back burner, like so many people were like it's backwards. And then other people are like no, it's not backwards, like do dogs do. Dogs walk straight up and I'm like well with the way that the material works. It's 100% wool. Their arms can't bend back like humans. I'm like so we did it like that.
Speaker 3:So you can see all the details as he's naturally walking.
Speaker 2:So he's not walking straight up like this all the time. Yeah, but that's how I got to meet Sammy. Sammy in the city is awesome.
Speaker 3:I already thought that was your dog. No, it's not my dog. Do you have any dogs?
Speaker 2:I don't no.
Speaker 3:No pets at all.
Speaker 2:No, I'm an animal whisperer, I kid you not. I love all animals. I talk to the rabbits out in the backyard during the spring summer.
Speaker 3:Oh, there's no white over here. Oh, seriously, birds, dr Phil, dr Doolittle, dr Doolittle.
Speaker 1:Dr Phil, dr Phil with a 10.
Speaker 2:So no, I don't have any dogs. But another reason for that is just because my wife and I we're not if we're going to have a dog.
Speaker 3:we want to be good dog owners, Of course.
Speaker 1:You know, we just don't have the time right now, to be focused on taking care of an animal. So, with that being said, yeah, I think this was a great conversation. Yeah, I'll definitely share. I have one more question.
Speaker 3:Go ahead, go ahead, you didn't cover it, so I'm filling in for you. Go ahead, tell us about your music video experience.
Speaker 2:What about the music video experience?
Speaker 3:What made you come with the idea to have that, to have music videos? Yeah, the music video did.
Speaker 2:I have a couple.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the one that we started at our house. That was a good one. Oh the one, oh the um. What is it called um?
Speaker 2:yeah, that one just with the music. So I want to eventually do music videos for most of the songs. Um, it all comes down to cost and price and finding the time and the casting and somebody to direct everything and it's a whole project. So that shoot was two days but it took six months worth of planning to do that, to have six months shot, uh shot sheet, a call sheet, like the costumes, the makeup, the and getting everybody together for this.
Speaker 2:And when you don't have a lot of money, it's really hard to do that for people that are just coming to help you out. If I had 500 grand as a budget, I can have that done in a week.
Speaker 3:Yeah, edited and done and filmed in a week, but the video it's on point. You've seen the reference. Yeah, no, we're definitely going to share.
Speaker 1:I'm going to share all your content on the Instagram page, all that stuff and your suits, everything that you do. I'm going to share it on the page, so check you out.
Speaker 2:I feel like this one was a lot to focus on me. I want to come back profound, in-depth conversations, of course.
Speaker 1:Obviously, I'm having you as a guest.
Speaker 2:We have to let the audience know who you are.
Speaker 1:Thank you Speak. Thank you for being my co-host today.
Speaker 3:You're welcome. Thanks guys, you did a really good job. You did a really good job.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:And like I said, sadly it's that time for the podcast to end, but I definitely do want to have you again. This podcast is going to be like our career it's never going to end.
Speaker 1:No, never going to end Once again, guys. You guys can check out Blake Alexander one and only on Spotify and on Apple.
Speaker 2:Blake, thank you so much for being on here, it really means a lot.
Speaker 1:I cannot wait to have you on again for another episode. It really means a lot. I love talking to you. You've. It really means a lot. I love talking to you. You've inspired me a lot.
Speaker 2:You've given me some good advice even though you said don't take advice, same respect back thank you so much, bro. I can't wait to have you on again guys, let's give it up for Blake Alexander, everybody, everybody and all the viewers.
Speaker 1:Alexander.