Justin Brown: I Do Not Have Followers, I Have My People

23:18And I was like, all right. But we're going to run it back where I got on proper clothes. Because I felt like I had on some skinny jeans shorts. So I couldn't get it all out. Then I had them heavy Crocs on. But he won. Peanut, if you watch this, we're going to race again. And it's going to be soon. We was going to race on the beach. But he said he was heavier than me. And he said, you're like running on the sand, on top of the sand. And he's like, if I run on the sand, I go in. So he didn't want to race me on the sand.

23:49Mick Hunt:You see the difference? He knew the setup. He was like, no, you could have easily said no. You could have easily said no. But you could have done film and you saw shoulder blades. Yeah, I saw shoulder blades, but it's all good. But I'm telling you, I'm going to beat him the next time we run because I am about to get in shape. How people are like, man, you look like you're in shape. It ain't going to be no more. I look like I'm in shape. I'm going to be in shape. When are we doing this? man I really want to beat him on Christmas I really want to beat him on Christmas day because we go over there every Christmas we swap out gifts I want to raise him on Christmas and that be a gift to myself and him oh he's getting the gift too oh yeah I'm going to buy like a big old L because I know I'm going to win and I'm going to put it in a box and I'm going to put it in four boxes so when he open it he's going to think he's getting something good it's going to be a big old L we're going to make sure I'm available Instagram live on Christmas morning?

24:43Mick Hunt:Yeah. Because I'm going to have the W for you. I'm going to have it ready for you, Peanut. You're not going to have it. I'm telling you. I'm going to have it ready for you. I'm telling you, I'm not going to lose again. Okay. I can't take the stress of that loss. My kids saw me lose. All right, so here's what we're going to do. If you win, if you beat Peanut, Peanut, I got my money on you, just so you know. But if for whatever reason you pull your hamstring, Peanut, and he steps on your toes or something, the final I'm going to host it at my crib Greenville, South Carolina we're going to go get a track at Clemson University and y 'all going to run the 100 if you win we ain't running the 100 I'm going to tell you that right now the age I'm at now I reached my top speed at 15 yards at 15 yards and then I'm not even racing him a 40 Because I'm going to tell you what I know.

25:38A top speed. I'm top speed quick. So what y 'all run, a 25? We're running 30. We're running a 30. No, no. I can keep my, when I'm top speed, I can hold it to 30. Them extra 10, he going to blow by me, I'm going to tell you. 30, he ain't beating me. He ain't beating me in the 30. We at least got to go 35. No, I can't give him that much. I'm telling you, when he open up, he open up. Because he was like, oh, it felt good. He was just getting, and I was hurting. I was sore. I didn't man when I tell you my legs I felt it it was so tight when I was done I said and he talking about I'm just getting ready this feel good we need to we need to make it longer I said in my head I was like well I'm not doing that I'm finna go eat a burger

26:20Mick Hunt:Peanut I got something for you I'm hiring you a coach good friend of mine multi Olympian Sonya Richards Ross will train you Aaron Ross will train you from the NFL I ain't going to get him a trainer. I know he's young. He already trained. You said 30 was it. I got to get him to blow past you at 15 then. If you hit it at 15, I got to help Peanut get there at 10. I don't like the thought of that. I don't like it. You just told me you love me. When somebody tell me they love me and then they go against me like that, I don't know if they love real. Hey, money is money, bro. I put my money on Peanut.

26:56I'm not saying I'm going to bet no money. I might bet some push-ups because I ain't guaranteeing nothing. I might bet some push-ups.

27:03Mick Hunt:Nah, man. So this next segment, I call The Room. And I know that food blogging isn't all that you do, but it's a true passion of yours. Was there a room? Was there a moment? Was there a dinner that like changed your life that motivated you to do this? I think I just started enjoying different foods because of my sister. She probably don't even know this. So if she ever see this, she going to be like, oh, I knew this all the time. But so we didn't grow up like where we just had money. We didn't. We wasn't going out to eat. My mom was cooking. And she had my mom learn how to cook. And she said, I ain't know how to cook.

27:43She just learned. So she would be able to feed us. And she got really good at it. And then she got older. She got bad at it. I don't know what happened. After I moved out, she's like, I went cooking. I did that for y 'all. I'm like, what? But all right. So, growing up, my sister, she was dating someone, and they would go out to eat. And I'd be at home.

28:05Mick Hunt:Yeah. And the first time she brought home some wings one time. And this was when wings was just hot lemon pepper. That was it. That's all you was eating. She came back with some teriyaki wings. It's the first time. My taste buds went crazy. Exploded, huh? So, then she might come home with something else. she always she wouldn't never eat all her food so she always come home with something and she always put me on to something new so it was she she gave me my first peach crush the soda and all we was drinking was coca-cola and that peach crush i'm like what's this right then what else did she she brought me a canadian clear i don't know if you ever had one of those yeah so it's the first time ever this is like when canadian clear first was in georgia or whatever she brought one i'm home she just used to always bring food i used to always love when she went on the day i felt like i was going on a date there you go so i'm like you ain't going on no date you ain't going out with your with your baby you need to go out so but she ain't go whenever she went out she brought food back and like it was just always good she ain't never bring nothing back that wasn't good okay so and it kind of to me it kind of feels like she was food blogging then without knowing Because she wouldn't bring me nothing back that was nasty.

29:22So if it was nasty, I'm assuming she didn't tell me it was nasty, but she didn't put it on the plate when she brought it back. And I was eating seconds. So I was eating my sister leftovers. And man. And then I guess that just grew my taste buds. My taste buds was just like, sometimes she'll go out. Mama will be cooking. I'm like, man, I'm just going out. She might be doing something that good. Right. Right. But yeah, that was that's what really probably kickstarted the whole that whole thing. My mom's cooking and her bringing home just different stuff.

29:55Mick Hunt:Yeah. Yeah. And I also love the fact that, again, you're you're much bolder than me where you'll try almost anything. But here's where you got me. And I started doing it at home. Vegan mac and cheese, bro. Like. You've done it. You've done several of them now. But I remember the first one I saw and I was like, I don't want to like that, but that looks amazing. And I trust Justin. So I went and made some vegan macadons and I almost can't go back. Man, listen, you got to try Mr. Vegan 9. He was the first vegan chef that I, the second vegan chef, but that's the first vegan chef that I tried that a viral video came up about it.

30:36Like the video did maybe like 10 million on Instagram or something or something crazy on TikTok. It went crazy everywhere. And he was like, man, it changed his life. But the food changed my life to know that you can get mac and cheese without it being actual cheese. And I was like, I'm like, dang, the vegan chefs have come a long way. Because it was like vegan food, you just hear it. And he was like, I'm not trying that. Right. But now it's like, if I want something, I'll try it. Like, my kids like vegan food. Maybe they may later in life go vegan. Who knows? My wife, she loves it. So, you know.

31:20But me, he always tells me, like, man, anytime you want something, just call me because you did something for me that nobody else ever done. And I'm like, wow. And I don't think about it like that because I'm old school. So a video to me is just a video.

31:34Mick Hunt:Yeah. Like a lot of people treat the videos like it's gold, which it can be gold because you can make a lot of money. But I'm still nonchalant to it because I guess I just grew up in a time when we didn't have social media. So I'm not, I'm figuring it out a little bit now. Money can be made. I just got to figure out how to connect the dots and make it where that's all I do. No, you got it. You're on the path, man. Like one, you're in Atlanta. Two, you're just great at what you do. So I'm going to talk to Coca-Cola right there. uh hey man hey talk to Cope man talk to them talk to them talk to them because another thing I see I mean it might be a little off topic but I see brands you hear things you hear like man they paid 400 ,000 for three videos I'm like man you give me 500, 400 ,000 you got me all year I'm talking about 3, 4 videos all month come and get somebody who finna be loyal to you Forget the three videos for 400, man.

32:37You're going to get that every month. Can't nobody talk bad about you. You my brother now. Now I got to fight for you. Y 'all talking bad about what? No, y 'all can't talk bad about them. You're getting somebody that's on your team. But it's, I mean, you know how life is, man. Stuff happens when it's supposed to happen.

32:57Mick Hunt:Nah. So when did you start? Now you asked me, when did this start for you, the whole podcast? Now I'm getting interviewed. Look at that. interview just a tad just a tad so it was march of 24 man and here's what's crazy i didn't want to start a podcast i just wanted to do youtube content like at the end of the day i wanted to do youtube content on why you should focus on your because and not your why and so then i've got mentors so like les brown who lives here in atlanta now damon john robert irvine um you say les brown les brown he might be one cousin my last name brown anytime i hear brown i'm like hey You might be family.

33:35You might be. There you go.

33:36Mick Hunt:But all of them were like, Mick, you should do a podcast and we'll be guests. And I was like, okay, I can come out of the gate with some names. And then it just spawned into its own world, man. It's crazy because all of my episodes are about my guests. Like, I love hearing stories. I love hearing the things people are doing to inspire others and to make impact. And the world needs that. And so that's what the show is about. So started in 24 and just been rolling ever since. When I first started, I did no clips. I didn't put anything on Instagram. And now it's like three, four or five clips a day.

34:09Mick Hunt:I do some talking head stuff and it's just going good. When did you get your first video that was like viral wear? Because I'm going to tell you mine. But when did you get your first viral video that made you be like, people like to watch? So the one that went viral the most was I was talking about the 10 year old me making a promise to my mom to change her life. And it was actually just a clip out of a 10 minute segment, but they took 45 seconds of it. And that is like, you know, over 2 million views now. Wow. I'm not I'm not big time like Justin. where I can get. No, you have two million. But two million for me was like, oh, okay.

34:54I'm not big talking like that either. I don't know, because Instagram, TikTok, oh, they play with your views. But Mines came, we did this one where I had a pan, it was two different ones. I had a pancake stack like this. And my daughter, I was doing a neuralyzer from the men in black, and I was getting ready to eat it. And she was like, what you doing with all them pancakes? because they had 10 pancakes, a pound of bacon, and a pound of potatoes. And she was like, you not the rock you're eating like that. You the pebble. And so when that happened, that went crazy because I am small. And then after that, the next video was, I want to say it was Steam House Lounge, and they had all these oysters right here in Atlanta.

35:39And then that video went crazy. And I was like, no, this is all right. Like, because we, I remember sitting around and my kids were like, people still liking your video because they just looking and they like, I'm crazy. I'm like, what you talking about? And then my phone was on ring and I just keep hearing ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. I'm like, I had to turn it off. I was like, I look up in the morning, it's still going. I say, oh, man, they like the video. And that was crazy. And then years later it blew up and I'm so mad because me and my mom used to go out to eat so much. Like we used to go out to eat so much.

36:14It's just like some restaurants that I go to now, they remember my mom and she passed away. And I'm mad that she didn't never get to go out to eat with me and somebody say, hey, man, your bill's taken care of. Because that would have been the wildest thing in the world to her because she didn't like to take pictures. She wasn't on social media. Like, that would have been wild for her. So I hate that it happened after her, but my youngest daughter looks just like my mom. And she acts like it. So it's kind of... Gives me that. All right, you still. You still here. You still here. Yeah. Yeah, I love that, brother.

36:49Mick Hunt:I love that, man. I'm going to get you out of here on my Unplugged Five. Rapid fire five questions. All right, let's do it. You ready? Yeah. Best cook in the household is? The oldest daughter. Oh, okay. She's stealing people recipes. My wife might cook something, and it'd be super good. It'd be the best. She might can't recreate it because she don't know it. she used in it. Uh-huh. So, yeah. Okay. I dig that. I dig that. What's been one of the top three memorable bites you've ever had?

37:31Kingston Caribbean's Cocoa Bread Beef Patty Mac and Cheese Otz Tail Sandwich. That was amazing. Okay. Mr. Vegan's soul food vegan plate. Mm-hmm.

37:55And it's going to be weird. I'm going to say this. The only reason I'm going to say this is one of my biggest bites was because it was a side that I didn't think I was going to like. And now every time I go there, I have to have it. Onion bug from Frankie's Steakhouse.

38:09Mick Hunt:Okay. And they were so good. Like, I ain't. can be this good like but i like onions but i've never had an onion like that and that changed my life as far as onions like i now i just i like people are probably like man i ain't yeah that i was good okay yeah i dig that i dig that so people that aren't from atlanta don't understand atlanta's a whole bunch of different communities and and sections that that make up atlanta you turned me on to mcdonough man like i know mcdonough had a big food scene like that like What do you think is one of the best food areas of Atlanta? Underrated. Let me say it that way.

38:50Mick Hunt:One of the most underrated ones. It's all so different because you have an Asian scene like in Duluth and all that. And I love that area. And then you have Caribbean food. This is what I love about it. Georgia. It's stuff that's so good. I don't think there's a particular scene. mcdonough and the only reason because i stay in mcdonough so i had to find places that we could eat because years ago i wouldn't even ride through mcdonough it was a rural area it was just like it just wasn't somewhere we were riding through that night trying to find food but now it's so many restaurants that's popping up out there they have pandora on the square which is cool was a you don't get fine dining like that anywhere else on the south side.

39:40You get Enzo, that's in Fayetteville, though. It's fine dining. Curiosity, fine dining. So we got, like, I feel like three really good fine dining spots on the south side. But I can't name one area because what I do every weekend, we'll pick an area to go to for particular food. So it's so many different places that... So just go anywhere in Atlanta. You can't do that. Yeah, you can find something. People come down here and say Atlanta's not like the best of food, but in reality we are because we have like every type of food. And it's not like it's somebody who's not from there making the food.

40:19Like every one of these cultures got a really good restaurant somewhere in the city. And that's what I love about us is that you're not stuck just eating one type of food. But the thing is, you might have to travel for it. You might have to go here. You're going to get in that Atlanta traffic. I was going to say,

40:36Mick Hunt:it might take you two and a half hours. Yeah, you're going to get in that Atlanta traffic. I don't like that Atlanta traffic. And that's why my kids get mad with me because I'm up. I'm like, man, we're going to beat this traffic. Y 'all want to go eat? We're going to go in this area. We can go to the mall in this area. We can go do something. But we need to get out here before that traffic. But then me and my taste buds start being like, you know what? I just want something fast. Like, I'm just telling you how my mind thinks. If I get caught in traffic, I don't want to eat no more. I'm not. I get frustrated.

41:04and I'm out because I got frustrated in New York like that. I thought my navigation was messing up. It said one mile, 30 minutes. And we was in a Uber and I said, nah, that can't be right. Oh yeah, you could have walked. Eight minutes went by and we had moved an inch. I said, let's get out of this and walk. I told him, go ahead, charge me what you're going to charge me. We getting out, we walking. And sure enough, we got down in that mile before that car got to where we were at. So I was like, okay. So I don't like traffic. like that. We're the same right there.

41:36Mick Hunt:We're the same right there. We might be the same right here. Who's your favorite NFL team? I got love for two teams. And I'll do them evenly, but I was born in Jacksonville, so Jacksonville and Atlanta. And I said football. Football. Yeah, yeah. Jacksonville, Jaguars, football, and Atlanta Falcons. And I said football. The Falcons play football? Aw, man. They play football? I almost threw this coat, man. We almost threw this coat, man. You just threw me for a loop, man. Man, listen. I got Jacksonville. I used to live down there, too. Listen, Atlanta, we—hey, hey. I'm a Patriot fan, so I appreciate you.

42:12Mick Hunt:I appreciate you not running the ball. But guess what? Guess what? That was the last time I ever betted with my heart. That was the last time I gambled with my heart. I told you before the show, I never do. My teams never see my money. Yeah, I never—I haven't bet on the Falcons since. Yeah, smart, because they don't play football. Man, they play football, man. Not NFL football. Hey, man, you gonna stop that. You gonna stop that. You gonna stop. Hey, y 'all. Hey, y 'all. I'll tell y 'all right now. Uh-oh. Falcons, we gonna have a good season this year. We gonna have a good season. Six games is a great season for Atlanta.

42:49Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. Six wins. We gonna have a real good season, man. Six wins.

42:53Mick Hunt:We gonna be above 500. So you got them winning nine games. I got us winning nine games. Hey, we're recording this live. nine games is what he said. I will take the under of nine for the Falcons. All right. I'll bet you a Coca-Cola. Okay, so look, so look, so look, we win nine games, you wear a Falcons jersey. We don't all wear a Patriots jersey of your choice. I got you covered. Cool. I got you covered. Yeah. That's what's up. Last question for you, Jay. As the story of Justin, the real food, Stalker Brown is being told, what's something you want to make sure the world knows about you? I just love my people, man.

43:31When I say my people, I just mean people who are positive, people who push for others. Because, like, anybody who knows me knows even if I'm losing, I'm still rooting for other people. Like, I'm going to always root for people. So it doesn't bother me when people make nasty comments. You can't bother me on the Internet because I come from where you don't. When people say something bad about you, they used to have to just say it to you in your face. And that was. So saying it to me on the Internet is nothing. Like, that's why I kind of like talk to my kids. Like, there's no way you should let somebody get under your skin talking to you over the internet.

44:06Like, because it's nothing but words, really. And I just want people to know that I don't care about that. But I do hope that that same energy, negative energy that y 'all use on me, I hope that you do something positive and support somebody with that same energy. As long as you do that, I don't care about you being negative to me. As long as you're supporting someone, like you're showing someone that you want them to make it. But don't be just trolling everybody and not trying to push somebody. Push somebody to be great. Because you trolling me don't matter. Like, I don't care. I got to be great.

44:39I got to try my best to be great, whether I become great or I don't. I got to try so I can at least look back and say, hey, at this point in my life, I really tried to be great. So I just want people to know I don't care about that. And anybody who's pushing to do something, I'm with you on it. I'm with you. Like, I see food bloggers pop up every day. And I like their content. I don't scroll by it and don't like it. I like it. I don't care. Like, I do a lot of collaboration with people, other food bloggers, because I want y 'all to succeed, too. Like, the more people that can succeed, maybe you're better than me.

45:18And if you succeed, maybe a big company picks you up and realize that, like, okay, these food reviewers are needed. Because we are the new commercials. Absolutely. So you don't got to pay$30 ,000,$40 ,000 for a commercial no more and be on TV. People watch Instagram, TikTok, Facebook more than they watch TV. Absolutely. Like, so you're getting a commercial out of people. I just want people to win. Because the more people to win, the less hate it is. It is. And that's just the way it goes. People who are winning don't have time to hate. Even when I'm losing, I'm not finna hate because I want you to make it.

45:54I just want people to know I love y 'all. Like, honestly, like I see people out and when I see other good people, I love that. Like, I don't know what it is, but that's why all my friendships are tight. Like, because they know I really care about the winning. I don't care if you're winning. My best friend's winning. I don't want nothing from you. I'm happy that you're winning. I'm happy that you're happy. And most people don't understand that aspect of it. That's why my friends are still my friends for years and years. And they still joke on me. No matter how big I get, I could be a billionaire.

46:26They still going to roast me about my height, whatever it's going to be. But they know I love them, so they going to always do that. So just always know it's always love. Nothing but love for me. There it is.

46:37Mick Hunt:Ladies and gentlemen, this has been The Real Food Stalker. Justin, where can people find and follow you now? Man, everything The Real Food Stock on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Hey, y 'all subscribe to that YouTube so I can start trying to make some money so I can give back. It's hard for me to give back, y 'all, without no money. Let's help me get the money. And matter of fact, this shirt right here, we're going to have this shirt. This is going to be for sale soon. And we're going to figure out some stuff, man. And I'm telling y 'all, I'm going to give back. When I get to that point to do the givebacks, I'm going to give back in a different way.

47:12A lot of people give back on camera. I'm not going to do that. Y 'all not even going to know. The only people who don't know I gave back is the people who got gave to. And it's going to be fun, I promise you. It's going to be fun.

47:24Mick Hunt:That's what's up. Everybody, make sure you're following. We'll have links to the show notes in the descriptions to everything, The Real Food Stalker. Support my guy. He's an amazing follow. Nothing but positivity. And you're going to learn some things about food that you didn't know before. Hey, man, y 'all follow him. Because he's giving me the opportunity. Mick unplugged y 'all got to follow him cause he's giving people the opportunity to tell their story and a lot of people don't ever get to tell their story and they'll people don't so people don't understand that person and they don't understand why they disliking them or they like them you know so you're doing something really good for the community and for socials like this gives people just that opportunity I appreciate you brother appreciate you and to all the viewers and listeners remember your because is your superpower go unleashing you