Mickey Bakst (Ben's Friends): Healing Hospitality

Josh the Non Alcoholic (Ocean Beach Cafe): Building Booze-Free Business

Joshua James, the founder of Ocean Beach Café and the voice behind @JoshTheNonAlcoholic, joins The Stay Curious Show to talk about recovery, ritual, and reshaping how we drink. From launching one of the country's first booze-free bottle shops to building community through education and tasting experiences, Josh shares how one article turned a soft opening into a movement—and why the future of drinking is more inclusive than ever. ✨🥂 About Joshua James: Joshua James is the founder of Ocean Beach Café and the voice behind @JoshTheNonAlcoholic, a leading figure in the nonalcoholic beverage space. Drawing on his hospitality roots, Josh built a space that celebrates booze-free wine, spirits, and cocktails in a vibrant, inclusive way. Through tastings, events, and educational content, he's making mindful drinking more accessible, flavorful, and fun. Follow Joshua & Learn More: Instagram: @joshthenonalcoholic [https://www.instagram.com/joshthenonalcoholic] & @ocean.beach.cafe [https://www.instagram.com/ocean.beach.cafe] Website: www.oceanbeachcafe.com [https://www.oceanbeachcafe.com] 🎧 Tune in every other Wednesday and discover what it means to embrace curiosity in your life. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and Stay Curious! Follow on Instagram: @staycuriousshow [https://www.instagram.com/staycuriousshow] Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/staycuriousshow [https://open.spotify.com/show/yourlink] Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show] ✨ Follow Curious Elixirs: Instagram: @curiouselixirs [https://www.instagram.com/curiouselixirs] Facebook: Curious Elixirs [https://www.facebook.com/curiouselixirs] TikTok: @curiouselixirs ✨ Drink Curious With Us! Explore booze-free craft cocktails, exclusive content, and more: curiouselixirs.com [https://curiouselixirs.com] This episode was recorded in Fall 2024, and any references to events or dates reflect that timeframe.

Chef Jae Lee (Nowon): Serving with Soul

Chef Jae Lee, the visionary behind NYC's Nowon, joins The Stay Curious Show to talk flavor, identity, and building a more intentional dining culture. From growing up Korean-American to designing a beverage menu with 25% zero-proof pairings, Jae shares how food, sobriety, and community collide in his work... and why hospitality starts from within. 🍜✨ ✨ About Chef Jae Lee: Chef Jae Lee is the founder of Nowon in NYC's East Village and Bushwick, where he's redefining Korean-American cuisine through bold flavors and storytelling. A Culinary Council member at The Sylvia Center and sober since 2021, Jae is building a more creative, wellness-centered restaurant culture from the inside out. 📍 Follow Chef Jae Lee & Learn More: Instagram: @yo.jaelee [https://www.instagram.com/yo.jaelee/] | @nowon.usa [https://www.instagram.com/nowon.usa/] Websites: chefjaelee.com [https://www.chefjaelee.com/] | nowonusa.com [https://www.nowonusa.com/] 🎧 Tune in every other Wednesday and discover what it means to embrace curiosity in your life. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and Stay Curious! Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/staycuriousshow [https://www.instagram.com/staycuriousshow/] Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/staycuriousshow [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MYOgVyAA2lFmf1KvTPyRS?si=d4a98a86222e43d0] Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show/id1790912244] ✨ Follow Curious Elixirs: Instagram: instagram.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.instagram.com/curiouselixirs/] Facebook: facebook.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.facebook.com/curiouselixirs/] Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs [https://www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs] ✨ Drink Curious With Us! Visit our website to explore booze-free craft cocktails, exclusive content, and more: https://curiouselixirs.com/ *This episode was recorded in Fall 2024, and any references to events or dates reflect that timeframe.

Ivy Mix (Speed Rack): Serving with Purpose

In this episode, Curious founder JW Wiseman sits down with Ivy Mix -- award-winning mixologist, author, and co-founder of Speed Rack -- to talk about her journey behind the bar and beyond. From launching her bartending career in Guatemala to creating spaces like Whoopsie Daisy and FIASCO! Wine & Spirits, Ivy shares what it means to serve with purpose, build inclusive bar culture, and make room for the sober and sober-curious in hospitality. ✨ About Ivy Mix: Ivy Mix is a trailblazing mixologist, author, and hospitality changemaker. As the co-founder of Speed Rack and owner of Brooklyn's Whoopsie Daisy and FIASCO! Wine & Spirits, she's built a career championing creativity, equity, and booze-free inclusion behind the bar. From launching her bartending journey in Guatemala to writing Spirits of Latin America and raising over $1.75 million for breast cancer research, Ivy is redefining what it means to serve—with purpose. 📍 Follow Ivy & Learn More: Instagram: @ivymix [https://www.instagram.com/ivymix] | @speed_rack [https://www.instagram.com/speed_rack] | @whoopsiedaisybar [http://instagram.com/whoopsiedaisybar]x [https://www.instagram.com/ivymix] | @fiascobrooklyn [https://instagram.com/fiascobrooklyn] Websites: i [https://www.ivymix.com]vymix.com [https://www.ivymix.com] | speed-rack.com [https://www.speed-rack.com] | whoopsiedaisybk.com [https://www.whoopsiedaisybk.com/] | fiascobk.com [https://fiascobk.com/] 🎧 Tune in every other Wednesday and discover what it means to embrace curiosity in your life. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and Stay Curious! Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/staycuriousshow [https://www.instagram.com/staycuriousshow/] Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/staycuriousshow [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MYOgVyAA2lFmf1KvTPyRS?si=d4a98a86222e43d0] Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show/id1790912244] ✨ Follow Curious Elixirs: Instagram: instagram.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.instagram.com/curiouselixirs/] Facebook: facebook.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.facebook.com/curiouselixirs/] Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs [https://www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs] ✨ Drink Curious With Us! Visit our website to explore booze-free craft cocktails, exclusive content, and more: https://curiouselixirs.com/ *This episode was recorded in Fall 2024, and any references to events or dates reflect that timeframe.

Mickey Bakst (Ben's Friends): Healing Hospitality

In this episode, Curious founder JW Wiseman sits down with Mickey Bakst, veteran hospitality leader and co-founder of Ben's Friends, to talk about building sober community in an industry known for its culture of excess. From nearly five decades in restaurants to helping launch a nationwide movement, Mickey shares how connection can be a lifeline for hospitality workers facing addiction—and why showing up for each other matters more than ever. ✨ About Mickey Bakst: Mickey Bakst is a longtime hospitality professional and co-founder of Ben's Friends, a national support network for food and beverage workers navigating sobriety. With over 40 years in the industry and sober since 1982, Mickey has become a leading advocate for mental health and recovery in restaurants. Through Ben's Friends, he's helping to destigmatize addiction and create a more compassionate, supportive industry for all. Follow Mickey & Ben's Friends: Instagram: @mickeybakst @bensfriendshope Facebook: @bensfriendsnational Website: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/ [https://www.bensfriendshope.com/] 🎧 Tune in every other Wednesday and discover what it means to embrace curiosity in your life. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and Stay Curious! Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/staycuriousshow [https://www.instagram.com/staycuriousshow/] Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/staycuriousshow [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MYOgVyAA2lFmf1KvTPyRS?si=d4a98a86222e43d0] Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show/id1790912244] ✨ Follow Curious Elixirs: Instagram: instagram.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.instagram.com/curiouselixirs/] Facebook: facebook.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.facebook.com/curiouselixirs/] Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs [https://www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs] ✨ Drink Curious With Us! Visit our website to explore booze-free craft cocktails, exclusive content, and more: https://curiouselixirs.com/ *This episode was recorded in Fall 2024, and any references to events or dates reflect that timeframe.

Sober in Central Park: Building Sober Spaces

In this episode, Curious founder JW Wiseman sits down with Sober in Central Park to talk about what it really means to build sober community. Rachel opens up about her own journey with sobriety, including the moment she was accidentally served alcohol after two years sober, and how that experience reaffirmed her mission to create safer, more inclusive spaces. From recovery to advocacy, this conversation explores the real-life challenges and joys of choosing connection over alcohol. ✨🍸 ✨ About Rachel: Rachel Hechtman is a sober coach, event consultant, and founder of Sober in Central Park, a community initiative supporting alcohol-free living. As Head of Events & Partnerships at Soft Bar + Cafe, she creates vibrant, booze-free social experiences. Since getting sober in 2021, Rachel has been on a mission to make sobriety more accessible, inclusive, and celebrated. 📍 Follow Sober in Central Park: instagram.com/soberincentralpark [https://www.instagram.com/soberincentralpark/] 📍 Follow Soft Bar Cafe: instagram.com/soberincentralpark [https://www.instagram.com/soberincentralpark/] 🎧 Tune in every other Wednesday and discover what it means to embrace curiosity in your life. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and Stay Curious! Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/staycuriousshow [https://www.instagram.com/staycuriousshow/] Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/staycuriousshow [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MYOgVyAA2lFmf1KvTPyRS?si=d4a98a86222e43d0] Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-curious-show/id1790912244] ✨ Follow Curious Elixirs: Instagram: instagram.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.instagram.com/curiouselixirs/] Facebook: facebook.com/curiouselixirs [https://www.facebook.com/curiouselixirs/] Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs [https://www.tiktok.com/@curiouselixirs] ✨ Drink Curious With Us! Visit our website to explore booze-free craft cocktails, exclusive content, and more: https://curiouselixirs.com/ *This episode was recorded in Fall 2024, and any references to events or dates reflect that timeframe.