Big Hot Meat - Justin James in-studio

I know this is hard parking sponsored by right hunt and right, Toyota out of Scottsdale, Arizona.

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That is a cold. Start in the garage.

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Dish, impossible. Anyway, I wanted you guys to

know that I'm your host, Jay Finning coming up on today's show. Just in James came over sat in

studio right in front of me, we had a talk talk about Life.

Why he moves every two years? I would say has commitment

issues, but he's happily married and they've been married for a while but he moves every two years find out why Also, big another car game. We also get into his food, his

meet his big, meet his big hot, meet a specific, your mind out of the gutters. Coming up after this word from

four-wheel online J fitting here.

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long line, or call them it. A one three, seven six, nine

two, four, five one. Again, that's for wheel online.

The number four wheel online. He is just in James, we lived in

Michigan, not together, but at the same time I moved here, you move down later and we've lived here in Arizona for a while.

Hardly ever see each other. I'm going to take that I've of

every time I see him. I apologize for that.

He reminds It's a two-way street but sitting in studio, getting ready to move back to Michigan. So first off, Welcome to Hard

parking. It's great to be here.

It's great to finally be here. So you're leaving, why are you

leaving? And then we'll get into some of

the things like the cars and the big hot meat.

How long have you been here? It's usually a two-year, right?

Because you've gone back and forth.

Have you North? Yeah.

Because I think that that makes sense because the last time I was like we're still here. I thought you left.

Yeah, that's been at to your standing almost every time.

Okay. 04:06 two and a half years and 17 to 19 and the 19 and then

21 to now really. I mean it with the thing that

really gravitates me back to Detroit area is the most important thing family. And so I gravitate there you

have family and then I'm like, I miss being in warm weather all the time and nature and and the different car culture here.

It's a much different car culture here and so, like being a part of that and then, you know, like you said with barbecue, it's I have more opportunities to barbecue here in other states that are right around here and build my own thing here. And then I also have an

opportunity. Now, with the knowledge that I

have that, I've learned this last couple years to be You better in Michigan so it's almost like Arizona's my Benchmark for everything. I do cars manufacturing.

A barbecue Health, that's like the Benchmark you come here and you learn the stuff here and you can take it and go anywhere everywhere with it. So every 20 or so years on it's

it's I can't do anymore though, we're good?

That's crazy. Good.

And you think you think this could be it then I think this is definitely it like, I feel it. It has two well, one it has to

be because I can't keep doing moving back and forth.

You know, as you get older it's thing like you just can't do it.

So the only benefit I can think of, of moving as much as you move, as you probably get an opportunity to get rid of a lot of stuff. Yeah, I can tell you.

That's probably the biggest benefit because really when we first did it, we were like, alright, when we were our idea in 2017, was hey, we're in a quick Chrysler and we're just gonna go travel travel, the country until we come down to this number, right? And we had it Bhajan, my we had

everything saved. We like, when we get to about

8,000 and savings, Okay, now we have, that's our, that's 0.

Hmm. Now we have to land somewhere

and then I got freaked out. I bought a truck and I get

freaked out. I was like well I don't know,

I'm not man. I don't know what happens if we

get stuck in Montana and Idaho and there's no service and then I don't know anyone and I got freaked out.

So we landed here in 2017. And then I built the pool

company up, became really good. I guess really good at that

because the customers voted me top three and within six months and that was in the North East Valley and then A guy came to me and said, hey, I want to buy your company and bought it and we travel, that was amazing because I, we wanted to get rid of a bunch of stuff. But then when you go traveling

now, you really have to worry about this stuff because, well, you have to put everything in a storage facility.

You want the small storage facility?

You can get all ten by ten, right?

Yeah. We ended up fitting it in like,

not even that I don't get it. I fit everything.

We owned like eight, right? Yeah.

It was even smaller. I was like, I want to say seven

by seven. Okay, yeah.

And then we went down to a little bit more because we started selling stuff. And then it was down to, like, I

think like a five by seven. This is Lauren, it was small.

So have you always gone to Michigan when you leave or do you have you moved other places? Like we're have, you know, so

first location. That is like gypsies yeah, yeah,

he's definitely typically gyppos.

So we, I started Living in. Let's see Chicago, mmm, live

there for about six months at the time, I owned a online performance company and we started getting stuff in.

We are buying a garage writing, another garage running, another garage. And finally, a semi truck came

to the house or the apartment and my wife was my girlfriend at the time. Was like, that's now for you, is

it? Better not be for you.

It was a truck full of wheels from California, right.

And I'm like that. It's very it's like we got to

figure this out. Hmm.

Where do you want to live? Like always easy Arizona and

just like, have you ever lived there?

Have you ever visited there? Nope.

How do you know you want to be there in?

Like I remember reading books, great and fifth sixth grade and I was like, huh? I have to shovel snow.

They don't have rain, they have lots of sun.

They have no natural disasters, perfect.

So I've always wanted to do that.

So we lived here and then after there, we came back to Detroit and then we traveled, we ended up living in South Carolina and Northeast Georgia. Okay?

Northeast Georgia was I would put it up against Arizona, you like it that much, huh? Oh yeah, it's beautiful.

The people are amazing down there, they are.

So friendly down there, it's tons of green.

They got a lots of lakes. It's like you're just like a

warmer Michigan. Mmm.

That's what I can. It wasn't.

It was really, really nice. Yeah, I know that part of the

country is really nice, the Carolinas and then of course, the Georgia, the Carolinas were nice, South Carolina was add some. There was nice.

But I felt like we were living there.

We lived there for in back and forth with a the camper the trailer right for every time. We felt like we that was our

home base, we stood there and then and every time we come back, it would rain, it would rain for days and days and days.

And then I would leave till I couid go somewhere, and it would be sunny there, and then we come back.

And as we're coming back, it's our training.

I'm like, I'm done, I don't know, I don't want rain great.

So with all the Have a where's your favorite place?

That's probably a question that people are wondering listening to this and it mean how has your wife been about all this?

That would be driving her crazy to interesting questions.

One, I would say probably the Southwest actually southwest corner of Colorado. Mmm.

Or the northeast or northwest corner of or part of Georgia.

Those two areas. Are some of the most amazing

things, I mean, Colorado. If it wasn't so expensive, it's

even more expensive here. I think like the Durango area

is. I love that.

Mmm, you have, you don't even have, it's not just, you don't have just mountains, you have high elevation mountains.

I mean, most of the mountains are there, 10 to 13, 5, 14,000 feet elevation and you're still climbing 67 thousand elevation.

And so for me I like I like being out in nature and Hiking there's that. And then you have a ton of the

all the nature, people are pretty cool in Colorado.

For the most part, I had, I really like the people, but the people in Georgia were some of the most friendliest people I've ever met in my life. That term Southern Hospitality.

It's a thing, you really understand it when you start meeting them, So now you're going to go back to Michigan.

So, we were talking earlier, before we hit recording about, why you're leaving, the prices are insane and you threw up me.

Some numbers that are just incredible.

I mean, I don't think I could live here for that.

What are you guys having to pay? Because there's people that are

listening, that may be thinking about moving out here.

And this is, this is I think it's also a byproduct of where you're living is, well that general area, sort of, sort of, I would say. Yeah, I can say, yeah, a little

bit, but while you're at being asked to pay, like, give us those numbers. So, we were in.

So we first moved here in 2021, we were at 19th and Northern, hmm, which Just Google that area and it was twenty six hundred a month. I like the house is there.

I like the neighborhood. I didn't like being on 19th.

That was crime-ridden like crazy.

Right. Right then and there is crazy,

like, what kind of crime is going on up there?

Oh, I mean, I would say once a week.

I mean, it's not like you're living in Levine.

I don't know if Levine's as bad now, as it was when we first moved out here, but I'd say probably, Do once a week or once every other week within a block, or a block and a half of me, there was a dead body stressful in the family and then I've chased numerous Mana, people out for my alley, right?

Jumping off the jump in the fences for my neighbor's houses, or meth heads and the, you know, sleeping at the nut and I in the alley. Like just if you think about it

like the new 20 minutes hundred dollars a month, not At $600 a month. Uh, yeah.

And so, we were like, we love being the area because we could literally be downtown in like 15, 20 minutes, Central Phenix, Pre-K minutes, all the restaurants, all and all the vibe down in central Isle of Downtown Phoenix now.

Yeah, it's nice. Now, it wasn't always wasn't

always like that and like I know when I first moved here, even when you first moved here, there was like no downtown.

It was like three restaurants as in here to go down time like this is a downtown. Yeah.

Is a Metropolitan downtown area and now it's it's blooming with a lot of energy. Yep.

And so then we moved I would say about 25 minutes north and that's North Phoenix area. It's just south of Cave Creek

and sober by Desert Ridge about 10 minutes away.

You're in Pinnacle Valley schools and I paid twenty eight and they wanted to move it up to 32 34.

They were thinking and so that's a lot of money.

I mean for an average middle-class person that's going to be, that's gonna be rough. That's a lot of money for

upper-middle-class. Like that's that's a lot of

money, period, it's rough. I mean, that's not a purchase

you guys. That's, that's right.

Yeah is right. Yeah.

And it's now it's just pretty much the standard and I feel like with the water situation that's going up there.

You have the chip manufacturer that's going there and from the stats that I heard, it's going to take as much water as 80,000 households per day. And I'm like, okay wait a

minute, we just got told Rio Verde can't use from Scottsdale.

Correct. Right.

It's got to get cut off because I know I just I was having a conversation at cars & coffee or High Line.

When I saw you we stopped in for like a quick drink somewhere breakfast, drink and there was some Realtors sitting around the table and they were talking about because of the water situation there was areas around.

Like Queen Creek is can't build anymore, their capacity and they can't use any water and they'd mention what you were just like that. Whole, yeah area was just cut

off. Which is going to throw a big

curveball, I think to Rio Verde, mmm, because all those people that live there. I'll horse farms are horse

ranches. So, like, they're gonna they

leave. I mean that's going to be pretty

crazy to see. And then so you have like more

Scouts will turn area. They get there, they get their

water, but then Cave Creek and like Desert Hills there on another drop down from the city of Phoenix, from, and City of Phoenix is starting to hold back there.

Water a little bit more now and I don't know when we're going to start seeing, you know. Well, you can only wash your

cars on Mondays and Thursdays, California rules.

Yeah, exactly. And so like, oh man, this is

just really is turning into California in more ways than one. And so I just Have you seen

either, you know, make more money which, you know, with the with barbecue and working full-time, that's what I was.

I mean, it's pretty busy and then barbecue is doing good.

As far as, you know, like profit-wise and and getting customers and everything and the family, it kind of ways like I live. I came out here to build a

different, a different life. So, one that was it was good.

I can enjoy and then hey, You know, a couple times a year.

We can go traveling as a family and go see my family in Michigan. It didn't end up being that way

because they're just becomes. So give a lot of family at their

have everything. There everything is there.

Yeah. Everything there's no one here.

I mean, I mean I have a select number of people that I can, you know, when I see him like, hey, how's it going right?

You know, like, when you're one of them, I'll get it.

We're excited to see each other, like, you know, it doesn't matter if we bump into each other at a car show or it seemed, or Ever, it's always the same.

It's the same reaction. People are very well.

I think I've said this before, but it's been a while and you know this firsthand because when I lived in Michigan, we we were with the block, like everybody knew everybody, and every year we had our annual block parties. We were the ones that really put

it together, but we had eight or nine, or their families, all of relative age within 15-20 years. Some had kids, some didn't, and

that's what we did. That was like our Premier thing.

Here. No, one really talks to their

neighbors. Yeah, it is.

It's right. It's a really, it's a really

interesting thing to be out here too, with that.

So like, I guess I got really lucky because when we lived in 19th and Northern the one guy across the street he first day, oh, hey, how's it going? Oh, wow.

And then we were all of a sudden, like, in this group, a neighborhood group and they got together once a quarter at school. And I was like, oh, where will?

This is really rare? This is really cool.

Because when we lived, In Cave Creek before, no one even looked at, you knowing like it was just, you know, you'd wave to people like that's their pain. Their driveway.

You be like wave and they would just like, look straight into their driveway. Get in there, get in there.

Cows getting their house leaving the end.

Do the thing we have waivers here but you know, yeah, not many, not many Partiers. And then even when this one it

took me almost a year until I started meeting the neighbors and then all of a sudden it was like it's because I had to smoke her out more and they Were like, wait a minute.

All right. Wait a minute, I smell coming

from. Where's that where's that coming

from? So then I was like, oh, now

they're interested right? Before I wasn't no big thing.

But yeah, even when we lived here in Chandler, didn't know anybody except for one neighbor. I was it.

So it was a couple things. Number one, going back to

Michigan, and she'll be closer to that delicious water in Flint, you know, Flint had that big Water Crisis, you know, few years ago. And number two, No big, hot

meat, talk about a little bit. How did you get started?

And because I mean there's there's some good places around here but everybody knows the handful and then I think being portable like you are and I'll let you tell that story, but what got you started in that. So what got me started in

barbecue was when we lived here, the first time?

04:06 in 05, I was working on a machine shop and Guy brought in a salmon and I was like, man, this is the best day I've ever had. What did, how did you make this?

So I guess smoked it, like, What you talking about, right?

I mean, smoked salmon. I've never even heard of this.

It's like, oh, what you do and you explain this that you did the process of it, and I could do this.

And so, I went home, I told my wife, I was like, yo, and we bought a smoker just a vertical basic kit was a Weber was a Weber vertical and then I made, I made in the garage that was not the greatest idea. Was it one of those those The

kind of starter ones that they're not.

They almost look like a hobo trash can but they're not that big. Yeah, I had one of those but I

didn't have the Weber Brenda had one of the other brands.

Yeah. It was a.

It was a Weber brain. I can't remember the name of it

either. I want.

It looks like a little bullet. Yeah.

Yeah. And so we did.

That is funny because we I did it the first time I put I left in the garage. I was like that way I can you

know easy. Yeah.

The whole house full of smoke. Cuz it just kept its for it in

and then I ended up doing the backyard and it's kept going a little bit. And I'm like, well, I like doing

this. And so I for the next 10 years I

played with every kind of wood, every kind of meat.

Every kind of recipe put my own little spin on it.

I don't really like this. Let's put this in it.

Let's follow them or Chipotle. We're, you know, we're here.

Oh, I like, I like a little more pepper course pepero.

Put that here. And then in And and 13.

I did a meal prep company. I started doing meal prep just

because it was, I wanted to get my meals cheering very entrepreneurial. You always, you know, I know

that about you, I don't know everything you've done.

I'm learn more just sitting in front of you here for the last 10 minutes, but you have a very entrepreneurial Drive.

Yeah. And it blew up really quickly.

All right. Almost too quick.

Yeah. Like, I had a couple dealerships

by me. I had.

Two or three gyms that were in on it.

And then I was like, oh man, like to the point where I could take this somewhere, I could quit my 95 and do something with this by I freaked out right away.

I was like, oh man, I don't know because I didn't know how to do some certain things. Like macros people wanted me to

count macros and like I don't do that stuff right cook.

And then I had to do so many different recipes that has because I was coming very uninterested in cocaine as I just like to do a job and I'm just like, yeah, it was like, I do barbecue like putting meat on the grill smoking me.

And that's it. And then my wife always did the

sides. And so, Slowly, but surely like

slowly. We've done really well working

together. But then like slowly I'm like I

got to take more of the reins of the sides because you're not always going to be here. Hmm, like I have to, I have to

take over that because this is my baby, this isn't yours.

The you don't have the same amount of care as I do or love as it, I do it into this. And so the name actually came

from her, we were joking around because we thought of there's a, the restaurant we're going. We're going.

Girl or barbecue and Dearborn, right?

And they have them in Michigan to and they have you know like the semi we do it on the grill and I'm like oh man that'd be cool if we could think of a name like that and so she's like I got it and I what? And she's like, we should name

it. We should name your barbecue

place. Big hat me, think about that?

There was like, oh man, that's great.

And so, we asked a bunch of servers, like, when you go to restaurants, but hey, would you wear what kind of restaurant named big hot meat and everyone everyone had the smirk?

On their face. And like, yeah, I would do that.

Even if you made less. Yeah, just because the name.

Sure. I was like, okay, sweet.

And then I just kept running with it.

And then, yeah, we've had opportunity to, like you said, mobile, I did a barbecue contest.

We were traveling came to Michigan shells, like hey, Set you up with a barbecue competition.

Cool. I don't have a smoker babe,

that's gonna be a problem. Thanks for the love.

Small detail. Oh, and by the way, it's a st.

Louis cut ribs, that's the competition.

Great. That's the one thing that I'm

not consistent yet. And so I'm like, forget it.

Let's, let's, let's figure it out.

And so, I bought a 55 Andhra it was food grade.

So I knew the inside was good, noting I did a burnout of it, cleaned, everything out, made a firebox cooked on it a couple times. And I was like, all right, I can

do this. This is pretty accurate.

I can keep it for. I can hold it for about 45 hours

without adding any water. Any charcoal on it?

Okay, we're good. Let's go for it.

I get to the contest. There's guys with like big

smokers right, professional grade stuff and electric this and then where's your smoker? Or point of the back of the

truck, it's 55 gallon drum it looks ghetto and the guys like you're going to go in the corner over there.

It's okay. And so then I keep my eye on the

guy next to me and he's got this smoker and every time you opens and closes it I see the temperature drop down by come right back up, I might go so I asked questions on them.

He tells me you know how much it was?

Where he got it from and I'm like okay then he starts giving out these ribs. I'm like oh man, wait a minute,

that's a thing. I got to do that.

So then I start giving all my ribs, I made you.

You have to turn in. I had to turn in for bones but I

made I think I was like a tracks.

I think I made and I started giving out ribs.

But then all of a sudden the crowd kind of just surrounded that corner by corner and I'm looking around and I'm like there's nobody anywhere else. Look at it there for them or me.

It's gonna be me. Yeah.

Like I'm like, that's pretty cool.

Awesome. and so, then, They like Rio and the thing, we gotta call

the winter and then they called my name.

Imagine that. That's pretty cool.

Almost didn't do it because I'm like, maybe I have a smoker.

I can't do it. It's ribs.

I almost put limits on myself. Like it's good lesson, right?

Yeah, I put limits and I was like, I could have not where I married now, barbecue would have never happened.

So I won that contest and because I won that, Test.

I reached out to the company that the guy had that smoker of and then I said, you know how much is it?

How long do I have to wait? He's like tells me and I said,

okay, cool. And then I'm paid them.

And I waited it was eight weeks or 10 weeks, I to wait for to be made and drove all the way from we had drove to Arizona.

I drove from Arizona to Alabama, where the smoker was made and then drove all the way back. And all the way back.

Everyone was like, oh man. That's a really nice smoker.

Where did you get it? So I was there salesman all the

way home and sold a couple smokers and then didn't do real much of anything with that mobile smoker until recently and then I mean I would cook on it and but I never really did events because I was like, well, I don't know, I don't have a license, I can't do, you know, I'll do the stuff and then I got here and started doing some of the stuff and then I called one day because I wanted to do the, like, a farmers market and they're like, all right. Well, you have to have

insurance, you have to have all your, you know, health food stuff. I said, okay?

And so then I get I called a guy that actually local the East Valley. He told me how much it was for

the insurance and I'm like, you idiot mr.

Hanna dollars. I was like, 3:00 I wasted two

years, pretty much, not really getting into this for $300, right? You'd you'd come on, are you

serious? You idiot?

And so then, I just started going and you've done We big events, you know, on the side of We did an event.

Whether it was for 20 event. We've I've learned how to make

420 barbecue sauces, I've learned how to do, you know, events over in. I Paradise Valley on the side of

like camelbacks lettuce. That's fun.

We've done. You know, large competitions in

like, Safford and stuff. And it's always been pretty much

the the same Enthusiasm from people that eat the barbecue like oh this is different, right?

This is Central Texas but with a, like a Twist because of I put more soul in it, because I'm very like, we're from Detroit, Detroit area. So, that Central Texas is where

I like the barbecue, a lot of dry rubs, but there's a little bit of sweet heat into it. Kind of like a memphis-style the

question for me and probably other people is have you thought about and you probably have but food truck dedicated, food truck, like talk about your your current setup and then what about the food truck? Basically your mobile breaking

brick-and-mortar? So I have thought of the food

truck was going to buy one and 2020.

And then something happened in 2020 and then go and have it.

I always I was planning to buy one on.

I was like, I have everything. Ready?

I have that I have the truck. I have the skills.

Yeah, I just don't have that food.

I'll have that food truck. Let's go because I can be

mobile. That's a great thing is I can go

I have I needed to do a Denver event or a Dallas event or Detroit event Chicago or wherever I could just load the truck elbows roll and so there was that Thought of doing that.

Still pretty heavily are they expensive?

Mmm. There, they can get pretty up

there. They that mean you're looking at

like 50 to 100K. Wow, that's a big difference.

Yeah. The market is a little bit

different. Now, the used Market is, you're

getting almost almost new ones because everyone, a lot of people did jumped on that bandwagon in 2020, but then didn't survive right through everything.

So now I have a line on a trailer right now.

For less than 50. And so I probably liked it.

I would like to buy that, but with the opportunity that's in Michigan, we're looking at a lunch, but it lunch spot that I can use for my catering. But also do like lunch services

on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until end up turning into a Monday through Friday or Monday through Saturday lunch thing. So I'm just waiting to hear back

from a couple things on that I have.

I want to be there so I can look at the location.

I know the locations, right? Like, right at seven and liver

noise. It's an I know it's an upcoming

area. It's a lot safer than it was

before. And so when I did some research

on it, I saw there was a yoga studios.

Either me initial was like, man, it's like board to try.

It's probably not great. Then I, when I did research,

like there's a yoga studio down the street, Eyes are a yoga studio in Detroit. That does not happen.

Come on now, no one's opening a yoga studio, in Detroit.

And then I, you know, I just did research and called some people that frequent that area and they're like, yo, man, you're you're fine. No, men don't.

Don't put too much thought into it, just open.

So people will come regardless of where it's at.

Yeah, Wings when it's good, you know, we're gets out there and you have the lines and so that's why I would like, all right, no limits. It's just just go you know like

Thomas television but don't look.

Don't look at all the distractions.

Mmm, so I mean, I end up getting a 95, don't know how long that 925 will last because I want that barbecue to continued going and I want to be full, right? You know I wanted to be a

full-time thing. Well it'll see.

It's good to and I guess is makes sense and I think about this coming into it but it's good to know that you're taking that with you. I mean if Anything you could

take with you. That seems like that would be

it. Yeah.

Yeah I mean I mean I sold the barbecue trailer just recently to get into a bigger space. Right?

You know, I mean the with the Grand Prix, getting a hold of me again this year was like Hey is our inaugural year?

You know we like you to be involved again.

I told him. No but now it's like well.

Now, I have other avenues that I'm thinking, yes, the car stuff would be great to be involved with, but I'd also like to do the barbecue stuff, too. So, and there was a local team

that just won third place on Saturday.

So, Yeah we me and them are in talks about me feeding that you know, being the the food for them.

This this next upcoming here the next year.

And so I'd like to be offered. I'd like to be able to get into

that venue, right? Because I'd be pretty both

passions, right? You're doing barbecue and you're

doing cars, right? Like, as a double win for me.

Yeah, it's two thumbs up for sure.

Thumbs up. When you so this is June.

What do you guys think? You're going to officially be

out of here? And June and a June very, very

early in July. I will probably driving across

the country and watching all the fireworks across the country.

More than likely. That's pretty cool.

Yeah. You have to be going through a

city, maybe you're just on the outskirts of the city, right?

And to hurry up. And are you guys going to rush

through or just kind of take your time, depends on when you have to be at work, when you have a job or whatever, right?

It has, maybe it would definitely that because because I, Concern. So, you know I'm still doing

processes right now. Like now I'm down with the

in-person part where I have to actually be there to do the interviews and so that will come up next week and then I'll find out when they want to start with everything.

And so I might have to, you know, fly back and you know, rush rush home, my one car and then they'll have to doubt the drive separate so we'll see the employment game.

We're talking about this a little bit earlier to the employment game is always one of those super tricky things.

You guys should probably used to it because you move all the freaking time, but it's one of those those tricky games that you have to play and everything comes down to timing.

So, I know before we moved here, my wife was getting really frustrated because she kept applying for jobs but we didn't live here yet. So then people really wouldn't

give her a shot at all. And then, you know, once we

moved here, she had a job within three weeks, but she'd been trying For six weeks. So she was really stressing out.

And so what she had to do was in order for us to even get the house, which is a whole other thing.

Right here, you'd approve that you were either here or you're allowed to work remote. So her job told her that, you

know, they wrote formed a letter to, hey, you guys can work remote, knowing that it was a very temporary thing because her job didn't offer remote at the time and even mine.

I had to do the same thing before we moved.

Here is. Yeah, here's a letter for my

company. This As I'm going to be working

remote, but they knew that I was actually going become a full-time employee here at the hospital, so they did me that favor, but it's really difficult.

And so we both had to kind of like skirt in that untrue gray area, just to get a job, just to get a place to stay and I can't even imagine what you guys are going through right now.

Yeah, especially like when if you looked at my resume its kind of silly the last six years. It's two years on two years off

to yours and turn it off too much.

And so most employers Are like, what is this?

What is this? We're going to let you know last

year, two years or now you just looking to get a job to get here and then land somewhere else. And so yeah it's just it really

comes down to for me it's just selling them on why I'm going to be here long longer term whereas this time is definitely like drew the Line in the Sand was like I can't go any hit can't go anywhere else anymore. Like it's Detroit its Michigan.

That's it. You can always blame it on your

wife and my wife has a job to move.

Around every two years, you know, I can't do that.

She'd been very, very, very patient.

Yeah. Very very, very supportive of

the whole transitions but even like when before he moved to this last time she's like I have one more movie.

Me. And that's it right?

There's no more moves. And I was like, surprised we're

moving back to Detroit and she's like well I'll make this exception because I hate everything here like literally she does not like anything here. Except for, she loves her job.

She loves all the the the patients that she sees.

She loves everything about that. That's a big part of it is I

think it's a Giant's, it's Yang for and then she likes our church and she likes the family that I got our church.

But like everything else she's like I could do without.

It's not a big deal. I'm tired of seeing Brown.

I knew my legs. I need my grass.

Like I need my Greenery and real likes.

Yes, yes. Yes, we have some around here

but they're all men made and they're still fun.

But to her point, it's not the same.

There's no beaches here, right? You have to wear water shoes to

every Lake you go to. Yeah.

And then even then and like I'm not he's laughing because he knows, I'm not typing this up, people that you legit have to where you cannot go to the lake without water shoes, you will wreck your stuff because there are rocks everywhere, and there are Boulders in the water so you can even trip.

Over a boulder. It's weird.

There's no beaches here at least in the Phoenix area.

I don't know about Havasu and all that kind of stuff.

I've never been way over there. Yeah, I've never really ventured

over Lake Havasu or Powell or anything like that.

I mean, There's some really good kayaking.

I mean, I know for sure the Colorado River when you kayak that, that's amazing. And it's kind of like for me

going through the, the Colorado River, it's like how many other people and have for how many, like, how many years?

Like how am I right think about this?

Was this here, A Thousand Years ago and like the tribes that were there were navigating through here and you can see the water marks throughout the on the side of the you looking like how much longer until it goes to low and then that side ends.

Just caving in because I know that it happened recently in whether it was within your Powell, I think so yeah, let me like Lake Mead dry up and when I was in California working in the Palm Springs area and I don't remember the name of the lake there's a there's a famous Lake out there that it's basically reduced in to nothing right now. Oh wow.

Yeah. And people are always

complaining about that. What are you going to miss the?

Most are some things you're going to miss the most about this area. Mmm Viking.

I'm probably the level of cars. Many remember that when you

first came out here, because I do.

But that, where he's like, because we hung around some of the same car people, although we didn't really live close to each other and it's, it's a fun eclectic group.

It's almost more family feeling because you'll have the Porsche and you'll have the ZR1 and you'll have the starter, you know, clapped-out Accord, and you'll have whatever else.

But there's so much of that here, it's all separated.

So, if someone shows up to weekly Cars & Coffee in, Michigan and granted, there's a lot of money in Michigan.

I'm not saying there isn't, there's a ton of money in Michigan, so I can speak about all I can speak about is the some of the events that I went to, you know, someone shows up on their 458 Ferrari. When those first came out you

like holy crap, there's a Ferrari there.

Yeah. But then you move here and

you're like Ferrari, Ferrari Ferrari, Ferrari Porsche.

Oh it's just it's just a regular Porsche.

It's not like a T3 or whatever. Yeah, you go to was it the

Saturday show that he's to be up on mayo and you're like, hey man, did you see the two Koenigseggs?

Wait, what? Exactly, you.

Wait a minute styie timeout. Yeah, it was Koenigseggs.

I saw Bugatti man. Like I seen a Ferrari what you

call Ferrari swapped Mustang you're like wait what?

I know the Mustang yeah I love em, azima car yeah it's an amazing car and you're like oh wow and then you go to one of these shows and like now Like, for the last couple years, it's been McLaren with Claire in Marie, Claire in Marie, Claire, because you seem so many MacLaren's.

Yeah, amazing. You go back to.

I'm gonna go back to Michigan and be like, oh man.

Wait, where you need, you excite, you be excited to see, like, a fourth gen Viper. I actually miss when you go

because you can't you can't really go too high lion.

See this is much and I tell people when they come to town they go. Hey, I want to see some cars.

I said, okay, well, you coming to town the first weekend and I'll take it to a place. I'll take you to highliner in

back then when they Had to Scuderia.

Yeah, Southwest thing. But I only went to those usually

when someone was in town and is not used to seeing at all.

Yeah, otherwise I go to all these smaller ones around the valley because when you get to see someone's like cool personalized build, it's just, it feels more cars & Coffee.

Yes, it feels more genuine in a sense, I guess.

True card. Yes, exactly.

You know, and I think the people with money are car enthusiasts to to a certain extent because you're right to a different level. Yeah.

Yeah. But yeah.

I mean it's just it's crazy the difference, right?

Hmm. And then you get numb to it.

So that's why when we had cars when I had a car show here, right? I like so I don't like our shows

because I feel like the traditional Car Show additional charge show up in the morning. And yet all day, you have, you

have four wheels and an engine and transmission and it's made to be driven. So, let's let's use it.

And so we had cars was here, I was like, well, I got to make sure that I get the right crowd. Like I want a rat rod next.

Do you know that Lamborghini? And like, I want them to be able

to be, you know, talking I'm they're going to be, to be able to do that. You're going to be different

individuals. There going to be a different

level of current through easiest.

And so, we had Cardinals here. First one was 240 cars, and then

people will leave in like Pavilions to come there.

It was at night, Saturday night. And then it was, yeah, we call

the showing go and I invited all of the, all of the photographers in the area, like, I want you to be my market, I want you to go and reach out to the cars that you want to see here.

So you take all the pictures and stuff and like this is going to be your canvas here. And so that we did that second

one, we ended up, I ended up closing Raintree over by Dino comp like 800 and something cars.

And then the third one same thing but now all of a sudden it was I think it was like five fifty cars but now all of a sudden there was more higher end stuff coming there was more like oh wait a minute, there was guys that were bringing their real nice. CTS-V.

He's right. They had, you know, 852 the to

the wheels or then you had the more the Ferraris you had the more Lamborghinis. There were starting to show up

and then I moved back to Michigan that stopped.

Yeah. Because you don't really see

that as much anymore and the more eclectic car shows that are here or more like charity driven, and that brings on a different, you know, crowd. I guess.

I've seen it because you've come and go come and go come and go.

This is my ninth year here and I've seen it kind of either.

This the scene has changed and I can't necessarily blame 2020 as much or maybe I've changed as well.

Or maybe it's a combination of both because now, you know, I'm not as excited to go out to some of these things anymore.

Hmm I can I can see we're coming from that because I'm the same way. Like I didn't go to high line

for almost the whole time I was here until just recently.

I went to the March 1. I was like, okay, and it's a

cool thing. It's a really good Shot.

Ya go to like you said, when you bring, when you want to, when you want to show off this area. Yep.

Right. I saw, if I'll do like a

Facebook live or I want to do like a Signs of like my sister or whatever. I would like a Jag this out.

It's like whoa. Yeah, right.

Yeah. Or you go to like friends that

are on the East Side, East Coast.

Right. But like the like just a little

shows like you said yeah that's where it's a develops.

We haven't even really wanted to really go to a car show.

Yeah. Well I I think the scene has

changed a little bit but that's because of Economy and I don't know if that's because of 2020 or that's an offset of from like 2016 9 people are just you know it's getting more or people are moving here from other areas like Washington, Oregon and California, where they're selling their multimillion-dollar houses and they were able to buy for less.

I mean, if you yourself three million dollar house you've been in there for 15 years and moving to a million-dollar house here.

Now you have some money to play with, right?

Right. Right.

Oh I can I was able to go to remote now I'm in 2020.

So I could be an offset on that. 20 will see how it changes, the

next five years to because I think the scene is changing even more. In the scenes between Michigan

and here, even more different because people are very not frivolous the little more liberal here.

Hmm. But they're spending other

money. Whereas in Michigan, like I

built it is able to build really good value and be like you'd have to like really sell that value.

Hmm. And then once they came out it

was like oh no no more questions now.

Right and so like we're here you have groups that are Charging, I don't know, I've heard of anywhere from 500 to 1,000 a month, just to be part of their group.

Oh, it's a little car clubs or parker tabs here and you're like, oh well, you get car drives and stuff you like car drives. It's interesting because I know

you were, you were organized that a lot here and in Michigan but it's like you now and some of those groups you have to be, you have to pay to be part of that group in order to cruise with them. Yeah.

Like I won't mention the the car club but Was one that my buddy had invited me to like a couple years ago.

We went to Fort Sill for those. Hey, we're gonna go Cruise after

this, you want to go is like Asher and I went had a good time. We went out and had a lunch that

we all paid for wasn't catered or anything, but he got his hand slapped for inviting me to go and even though I'm cool with the guys, some of the guys in the group it's like I'm not in their car club. So I can't go on this cruise

with him was like, alright dude, it's good and you stayed with him and I can't believe you stayed with him after that.

That but you're right it's just but some people want to be led.

Yeah, they just want this one to hang out it.

I got this this Fu money and I want to be part of something.

So take my money and tell me where we're gone.

Yeah. No, I've seen that even to some

two people wanted to be led. Yeah, I can see that especially

like even in Michigan, like all my car cruise is that's all I wanted to do for. I would say most of them Just

wanted to like hey let's go around a cruise but like I don't know where to go. Like I would give him

directions. Okay.

This is older. I used to give him directions on

like paper like Google directions of the paper.

Like here you go and they'd be like, okay.

But then you get like, you get a tax or a phone call.

Like hey, where we going? I'm like, what do you mean?

Where we going? You aren't you in their group.

Yeah. But I took a right and everyone

went laughs. Well, then take a reverse and

get back with us. Right.

Check out the, the MapQuest that I set your watch.

By the way, MapQuest is still around.

I typed in something. The day and the page popped up,

I was like, wait, this is still our own kind of funny.

We used to use an I can't remember the app.

I was just thinking about that. When we hear you Susan, app and

attract all of us? Well, that's cool.

If you ever, if you ever needed to know where we were, you would just look at this map. I can't remember this app was

called, but I got it from you. You ever heard of Saturn's

drives? I haven't.

So, I'm, I heard a Saturn in like 08-09 when I was just starting to get into. The group, right?

Start organizing drives, this guy puts on like car cruises, that would be put on like here, right.

I call Top End cars but he puts them on and like Toronto and like there's a there's a beach. I can't remember what the beach

is in Canada but they go up to that beach from Toronto and that's what it is. It's just ripping through the

Backwoods of Canada and so I was like, okay, I'm and we became friendly with everyone. Each other and like he

introduced me some other groups in Toronto and like, hey this is how I run my group. Hey, you know, giving me tips

and stuff I'm like, okay cool and so he gave me that app.

I can't remember a post called but it's kind of like boxer.

Hmm, but it had a revolving sir remember.

So there was a BMW app that had all like scenic drives.

It was like that but they could track everything can't think of.

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter really.

But no, it was really cool that was.

And then That was a cool to watch that grow and then get a phone call. Like I don't know where from the

Grand Prix. Like hey we know about you and

we want you to we have these car Corral's, the Grand Prix and you know we have Cadillacs and we have Corvettes but we don't have the exotic cars and like the one-off sports cars.

And can you can you get us that and then give me the same amount of leniency same Benefits is like big corporations, like they're, they're like BMW and Cadillac and you know, GM basically. and everyone loved like that part of it and then

growing it into like hey we did subscription-based for a little while she wanted members, 100 hundred dollars a month and that Gap them Free free runs now, free track days, you know, now we go to, you know, to track days all throughout the year.

And and now this is this money goes towards charity to and it helped when we had to call the State Police, and we're like, hey, yeah, the charity aspect is, we need a close down this road. Can you hook us up, you know,

and so that helped towards that too.

And I was going to reopen that back up and then David hit, right? And kind of slowed us down,

everyone's like, oh we can't do anything and then Dad, and I moved. And so, then I've been for the

last, I would say, you last year, I've been getting a little texture back and forth. Hey, when you coming back, it's

almost two years. When you start in this back up,

like let's get the band back together.

Let's, let's get this events going.

So they kind of tugs on me too, because like, I mean, that'd be like you stopping One auto, right?

People are people reach out to you for years?

I know that be like hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, get back into this.

You can't stop this because you're such an integral part of the culture here. Same thing there.

Yeah. Like I know a guy, one of the

photographer's fan reached out to me was like, come on.

You're the oh gee. You're the reason why all these

other groups started their rallies.

You have to come back and show them what the OG does, yr.

Let me, let me figure out some stuff and I'll come back, I'll come back. Well now you'll have that

opportunity being hot meat. It's just at big hot meat on

Instagram. Yeah.

And don't you have a personal page or you just do everything through big hot meat? Now, I do both.

I mean, so my personal is at AWD doughnuts, Dio and UTS that is from a when I owned my STI. Yep.

And then yeah, big hot meat. And then we, Do, I'll either do

Midwest Motor Club stuff or I'll do Supercar adventurous and the Supercar Adventure stuff. I just had started getting into

and that was traveling abroad into Spain and Italy into Germany and doing like, tours over there.

And that's what would for ready to as he has a venture drives and need to does that as well drop for ready.

So I started we had gotten I've gotten into that, and Did some trips in 2013, to 14 your night, your rental cars on 9/11, you're going to castles, right? And it's, it was less cost than

everyone. So I was and and it was

including airfare from Detroit. So There now though, with kind

of things opening back up, I have had people like, hey, with the have the money to be able to spend like that.

Would you think about doing this?

You know, like, there's guys even here that would like, hey, I like to do something like that.

Could you could you organize some like that?

Yeah. But for me, I have to focus on

getting there and getting things stable.

And then at the end of the summer start planning for next year on that stuff. Well we'll see what happens with

that Justin. Thanks for coming through.

Definitely thanks for having me. We're going to miss your out

here even though I never see you but just knowing you're not here. So just then I'll give you a

reason to come back to Detroit. We go to Michigan.

Maybe once every year or every other year whatever over on the east side though. I'll give you a reason to go.

I'll go the west side for you. Sounds good, man.

All right. Thank you.

One of these Justin James for coming by the studio.

We wish him. The best of luck on his next

move, back to Michigan for. I think the third or fourth time

in the last eight years think is for the math, maybe, I'll run into them next time. I go into town.

Maybe, we'll run into each other in Michigan at some point.

I should have been better. I should have been better with

people that lived where I used to live and now live.

I live now except for you'll be gone at the end of the week.

I think, right? Hannah and right Toyota

four-wheel online.com Soul Shop Wireless Services, patreon

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Wednesday on Instagram, live seven o'clock Pacific time we have a virtual drink we hang out with all of you your ambition out the podcast, upgrade feel free to join the page on for as little as $3 a month. Don't feel pressured.

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A beater.

Big Hot Meat - Justin James in-studio

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