I went to culinary school before becoming a speaker. 



Alright here is something you don’t know about me my friends. I&#8217;m about to spill the beans on a little secret ingredient in the comedy and drug prevention stew that is my life. You ready? Here it is, I&#8217;m was/still a culinary wizard, thanks to my time at <a href="https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/academic-life/academic-majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/">UNLV Culinary School</a>. Yep, your favorite drug prevention enthusiast knows how to whip up more than just punchlines!



Once upon a time, I found myself slinging dough and sprinkling cheese at the family owned Roman Kitchen Restaurant in Santa Ynez, CA. Now, picture this: on any given day someone from the Hollywood elite could walk in. I have made a pizza for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Dennehy">Brian Dennehy</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Travolta">John Travolta</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Derek">Bo Derek</a>. Talk about a star-studded pizza party!


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As the maestro for the old brick oven, I crafted a pizza fit for the gods of Tinseltown. It wasn&#8217;t just about the perfect crust and the melty cheese; it was about creating a masterpiece that would satisfy the taste buds of these legendary actors. Brian Dennehy, with a grin as big as his talent, gave it a thumbs up. John Travolta, a connoisseur of both dance floors and pizzas, nodded in approval. Bo Derek, the epitome of beauty, flashed a smile that could light up the room.



So there you have it – my secret recipe for a killer pizza and a sprinkle of celebrity stardust to boot. Because in my world, it&#8217;s not just about delivering punchlines; it&#8217;s about cooking up experiences that are as unforgettable as they are delicious. Until next time, keep the ovens hot and the laughs hotter!

Cooking up more than laughs!

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Hey there, future legends! So, picture this: I&#8217;m standing on stage, basking in the afterglow of an awesome event about drug prevention. The energy is electric, and the room is buzzing with excitement. But guess what? The real party is just getting started – and it&#8217;s all about connecting with students, the incredible people who made the event unforgettable!



Now, let me spill the beans on why chatting with them right after my gig is like the grand finale of a fireworks show. Trust me; it&#8217;s not just about soaking up the applause (although, that&#8217;s pretty sweet too!).



First off, there&#8217;s this incredible vibe in the air. We&#8217;ve just shared laughs with a serious talk. The room is filled with a mix of emotions – from the hilarious anecdotes about setting goals to the more serious moments discussing the real deal about drugs. It&#8217;s a rollercoaster of feelings, and being there with them in that moment is like catching lightning in a bottle.



Let&#8217;s talk about the laughs, shall we? Comedy is my jam, and I know you guys love a good chuckle too. That&#8217;s why I weave humor into my drug talks. It&#8217;s like slipping a spoonful of sugar with the medicine – makes it go down smoother, right? So, when we&#8217;re on stage, and I&#8217;m cracking jokes about the wild world of vaping or the absurdity of certain drug myths, I can see those smiles and hear the laughter. It&#8217;s like hitting the punchline in a killer stand-up routine, and I&#8217;m feeding off that energy.


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But here&#8217;s the real magic trick: it&#8217;s not just about making you laugh; it&#8217;s about making a connection. When I&#8217;m on stage, I&#8217;m not just a speaker – I&#8217;m part of this wild, wonderful conversation we&#8217;re having about life, choices, and the crazy ride that is growing up. And right after the event, when I&#8217;m still on stage, that connection is at its peak.



So, there I am, soaking up the applause, and I look out at the sea of faces – student&#8217;s faces. That&#8217;s when I know it&#8217;s time to dive into the real fun – the post-show banter. I get to hear their thoughts, their questions, and maybe a hilarious story or two from their experiences. It&#8217;s like having a backstage pass to the coolest party in town, and they&#8217;re all VIP guests.



Now, let&#8217;s throw in a pop culture reference or two because why not? Connecting with you after a show is like the Avengers assembling for a post-battle shawarma. It&#8217;s where the real bonding happens, and I get to see the personalities behind the audience. We&#8217;re not just talking about drugs; we&#8217;re talking about life – the movies you love, the music that&#8217;s on your playlist, and maybe even some classic jokes that never get old.



But here&#8217;s the best part: while we&#8217;re having this post-show shindig, the important messages about drug prevention are still sinking in. It&#8217;s like stealth education – you&#8217;re having a blast, and at the same time, you&#8217;re picking up valuable insights that might stick with you longer than the latest TikTok trend.



So, my fellow adventurers, next time you find yourself in the audience of a drug prevention event, stick around after the curtain falls. Let&#8217;s keep the party going, share some laughs, and dive into the real talk about life, choices, and, of course, the wild world of drugs. Because in the end, it&#8217;s not just about what happens on stage – it&#8217;s about the awesome journey we&#8217;re on together. Until next time, stay legendary!

After the presentation.

You know, educating students is a bit like how octopuses change colors. Now, bear with me, because this might sound a bit peculiar, but stick around—I promise it&#8217;ll make sense.



First off, just like how it&#8217;s natural for an octopus to change colors, it&#8217;s natural for me to educate students. It&#8217;s in my DNA, so to speak. Octopuses change colors for various reasons—camouflage, communication, or expressing their mood. Similarly, educating comes naturally to me because, well, I&#8217;ve got this inherent passion for it. I&#8217;m like an octopus with a vibrant palette, only my colors are a mix of enthusiasm, knowledge, and a touch of humor.



Now, let&#8217;s talk about enjoyment. Octopuses actually enjoy changing colors—it&#8217;s not just a skill they have; it&#8217;s something they take pleasure in. Well, guess what? I enjoy educating. It&#8217;s not just a job or a task for me; it&#8217;s a source of genuine joy. I get a kick out of seeing those &#8220;aha&#8221; moments in students when they grasp a concept. It&#8217;s like the satisfaction an octopus gets when it perfectly blends into its surroundings. We both find joy in what we do, albeit in different ways.



And here&#8217;s the kicker—doing both, changing colors for an octopus and educating for me, is surprisingly easy. Octopuses can change colors in the blink of an eye, adapting effortlessly to their environment. Similarly, I find educating students to be a smooth ride. It&#8217;s not a struggle; it&#8217;s a natural flow. It&#8217;s like riding a bike, or for the octopus, smoothly transitioning from one color to another. It just happens, effortlessly.



Now, let me break it down in simpler terms, high school style.



Picture this: You know how an octopus changes colors, right? Well, imagine if I could change my teaching style as easily as an octopus changes its hues. Crazy, right? But it&#8217;s true! It&#8217;s like my superpower—educating in a way that keeps things interesting, just like an octopus keeping itself interesting by changing colors.



Now, let&#8217;s talk enjoyment. You ever watch those videos of octopuses happily changing colors? It&#8217;s like they&#8217;re having a blast! Well, I get that same joy from teaching. It&#8217;s not just a job; it&#8217;s like my favorite video game. Every lesson is a new level, and helping students understand feels like winning the game. So, yeah, I&#8217;m basically the octopus of education.



And you won&#8217;t believe how easy it is. Octopuses change colors effortlessly, like it&#8217;s a walk in the park for them. Well, teaching is my walk in the park. It&#8217;s as easy as texting your best friend emojis—it just flows. I guess you could say I&#8217;m the texting champion of education, and octopuses are the color-changing champions of the sea.



In a nutshell, educating students and octopuses changing colors might seem worlds apart, but in my world, they&#8217;re like long-lost cousins. Both natural, both enjoyable, and both as easy as pie. So, whether you&#8217;re an octopus blending into the coral reef or a high school student navigating the sea of knowledge, remember—it&#8217;s all about finding your colors and enjoying the ride.

Students participated in the presentation

I am the Octopus!

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When it comes to speaking to an adult audience, I take pride in delivering information that&#8217;s hard to understand in a deep, funny, and highly informative way. You see, my style of communication isn&#8217;t just about relaying facts; it&#8217;s about making a lasting impact. I use humor as my secret weapon, sprinkling it throughout my talks to keep the audience engaged and entertained.



I firmly believe that the best presentations are those where people not only leave informed but also inspired to take action. I strive to accomplish this by providing practical advice and solutions that adults can put into action immediately. It&#8217;s not just about talking at them; it&#8217;s about empowering them with the tools they need to make positive changes. So, when attendees walk out of my presentation, they&#8217;re not only armed with knowledge but also the motivation and know-how to address the issues surrounding drug use effectively.



To make my points relatable, I often draw inspiration from various aspects of popular culture, just like how your favorite movie can teach you life lessons. By weaving in references to movies, music, and even some good old-fashioned jokes, I ensure that the information resonates with the audience on a personal level. This not only makes the presentation more enjoyable but also aids in better retention of the crucial information.



In essence, my aim is to bridge the gap between informative and entertaining, and I&#8217;ve honed this craft by combining my love for comedy with my passion for drug prevention. When adults attend my talks, they don&#8217;t just get another run-of-the-mill lecture; they get an experience that leaves them informed, entertained, and motivated to take positive steps towards creating a safer, drug-free environment.

Appealing to adults!

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Fifth graders might be young, but they can understand complicated information is crucial to learn. I&#8217;ve found that breaking down complex topics, like vaping is dangers, into relatable and humorous nuggets makes it easier for them to grasp. It&#8217;s about empowering them with knowledge while keeping it engaging, so they&#8217;re equipped to make informed decisions as they grow up.

5th graders understand!

Getting a thank you and a comment saying you did a good job is like hitting the presentation jackpot. It&#8217;s like telling the world, &#8220;Hey, I&#8217;m here, and I matter!&#8221; So why does it feel so fantastic?


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First off, it&#8217;s like a shot of pure joy straight into your funny bone. Picture this: You just delivered a drug prevention presentation (like a stand-up routine) and the students erupt with laughter. It&#8217;s like a chorus of applause that makes your heart dance the cha-cha. When someone gives you a thank you and a &#8220;good job&#8221; comment, it&#8217;s the same thing but in text form. You can practically hear the virtual audience laughing and clapping for you.



But it&#8217;s not just about feeding your ego; it&#8217;s about forming connections. When someone appreciates your work, they&#8217;re saying, &#8220;I see you, I appreciate what you&#8217;re doing, and it matters.&#8221; And that&#8217;s heartwarming. It&#8217;s like sharing a great joke with your friends – that sense of togetherness and shared joy is pretty darn sweet.



And let&#8217;s not forget the motivation factor. When you get that thank you and a compliment, it&#8217;s like a turbo boost for your drive. It&#8217;s a bit like your favorite band releasing a new song. You know they&#8217;ve been working hard, and when they drop that banger, you can&#8217;t wait for more. It&#8217;s the same for your work. When someone thanks you and says you&#8217;re doing a good job, it&#8217;s like saying, &#8220;Keep it up; we can&#8217;t wait to hear more from you!&#8221;



Now, here&#8217;s where the humor comes in. Remember watching a comedy movie and bursting into laughter as the characters got into hilarious situations? Well, getting a thank you and a compliment is like the comedic twist in the story of your day. It can turn an ordinary, dull moment into something special and laugh-worthy. It&#8217;s like discovering an unexpected punchline in the middle of a serious conversation – it adds a touch of humor and a whole lot of joy.

Past events