Mick Unplugged

This is a previously recorded conversation, returning as a Mick Unplugged re-release. References to upcoming projects reflect the time of recording.

Chef André Rush's strength reaches far beyond the kitchen or the gym. In this conversation, the U.S. Army veteran, former White House chef, and mental health advocate shares the mission that keeps him serving others through grief, setbacks, and success.

Mick and Chef Rush talk about checking in on the people you love, the stigma around asking for help, and why compassion belongs alongside discipline. Chef Rush reflects on September 11 at the Pentagon, a moment of connection at therapy, and the lessons his parents gave him about hard work and perseverance.

The conversation also explores how cooking became his calling, the accountability required inside the White House, and the experiences behind his memoir, Call Me Chef, Dammit! It closes with four rapid-fire questions and an exchange about mentorship, gratitude, and making an impact.

You'll Hear

- Why a simple conversation can help people feel connected

- Chef Rush's answer to “What is your because?”

- How personal loss shaped his commitment to children and veterans

- His experience of trauma and the difficulty of asking for support

- Why encouragement, empathy, and perseverance matter

- How military service led him toward a culinary career

- Accountability, teamwork, and the White House kitchen

- The story behind his memoir and four candid rapid-fire answers

CHAPTERS

00:00 Check on each other: the cold open

00:20 Meet Chef André Rush

01:19 Why reaching out matters

03:24 Choosing service and refusing complacency

05:33 His father's lessons on hard work

07:19 The Because: a mission beyond yourself

10:22 Mick on friendship, loss, and connection

13:05 Turning remembrance into a cause

14:13 September 11, the Pentagon, and trauma

17:14 Asking for help and challenging stigma

20:12 A moment of connection at therapy

20:43 Keep going: encouragement and resilience

24:44 How cooking became his calling

32:17 Accountability inside the White House

35:35 The story behind Call Me Chef, Dammit!

40:50 Food, patience, and plans discussed in the recording

42:24 Four rapid-fire questions

44:40 Gratitude, mentorship, and farewell

CONNECT & DISCOVER CHEF ANDRÉ RUSH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realchefrush/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChefRush

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefrush

Website: https://chefrush.com/

Book discussed: Call Me Chef, Dammit! A Veteran's Journey from the Rural South to the White House

FOLLOW MICK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickunplugged/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

TikTok: @mickunplugged: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged

Spotify, Mick Unplugged: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Buy Mick's book, How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One:

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958

Content note: Discussion of suicide loss, grief, September 11, trauma, and mental health. Contains occasional strong language.

What happens when business experience becomes the foundation for a more personal mission? Adam Zeitsiff joins Mick Hunt to discuss youth fitness, purpose, and the leadership lessons behind building teams that can carry a mission forward.

From technology to Gold's Gym and LA Fitness, Adam reflects on the experiences that led him to his work with the Dominique Dawes Academy. He explains why a child's gold medal moment might be learning a cartwheel, gaining confidence, or discovering the value of practice.

The conversation also explores the shop-floor example his grandfather set, the importance of asking for help, and why hiring and listening to capable people can change a business. They close with mentorship, lessons Adam wishes he had learned earlier, and The Unplugged Five.

YOU'LL HEAR

- Why Adam's because is centered on creating better opportunities for children.

- How his technology background shaped his work in the fitness industry.

- The mission behind helping kids find their own gold medal moments.

- What his grandfather taught him about caring for the people on your team.

- Why entrepreneurs need to ask for help, listen, and hire strong specialists.

- His perspective on AI, mentorship, and the legacy he wants to leave.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 The mission behind the work

00:33 Meet Adam Zeitsiff

01:34 The Because: a mission centered on children

05:45 Schools, parents, and physical activity

08:55 The Unplugged Truth: technology meets fitness

11:45 Leading at Gold's Gym

14:32 Two different fitness business models

16:05 Hot Takes: the Dominique Dawes Academy vision

20:43 AI and the human side of fitness

23:17 Finding a child's gold medal moments

25:57 The Room: a grandfather's leadership example

27:56 Asking for help and scaling a business

30:01 Hiring and compensating the right people

32:58 Mentorship and growing leaders from within

34:25 Connecting with the academy

35:11 Leadership lessons learned the hard way

36:46 The Unplugged Five

40:12 Legacy and making a difference

CONNECT & DISCOVER Adam Zeitsiff:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-zeitsiff/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/zeitscameraaction/

Dominique Dawes Academy: https://www.dominiquedawesgymnasticsacademy.com/

Academy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dominique-dawes-academy/

Academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawesgymnasticsacademy

FOLLOW MICK

Mick Hunt Official: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

TikTok: @mickunplugged https://www.tiktok.com/@mickunplugged

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Spotify: Mick Unplugged https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Buy Mick's book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Leader-When-Youve-Never/dp/1394357958

Your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

Content note: Contains occasional strong language. Business plans and expansion discussions reflect the time of recording.

#mickunplugged #adamzeitsiff #kidsfitness #gymnastics

What does it take to stand in front of a room and make people laugh—even when the room goes quiet?

Comedian Mookie G joins Mick for a candid, funny conversation about the work behind the punchline. He shares how his mother recognized his gift for bringing people joy, encouraged him to take a comedy class, and helped him discover his because.

Mookie breaks down the difference between being funny online and performing live, the challenge of developing jokes, and why an audience’s silence does not always mean a set has failed. Mick and Mookie also explore authenticity, self-love, social media, and the patience it takes to keep showing up before the right opportunity arrives.

Along the way: Houston sports loyalty, growing up in Beaumont, moving to Atlanta, and a rapid-fire conversation about comedy, food, and the legacy Mookie wants to leave.

Listen for the purpose beneath the laughter—and the reminder to be yourself.

In this episode:

• Finding a because in bringing happiness and joy to others

• The mother who saw a comedian before he saw it himself

• Stage fright, audience energy, and learning to trust silence

• Developing material through recorded conversations and real-life experience

• Hosting, featuring, and headlining: different jobs, different rhythms

• Using social media to build visibility while staying yourself

• Self-love, consistency, and being ready for opportunity

• Beaumont roots, Atlanta possibility, and a funny and friendly legacy

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open: becoming comfortable with silence

00:27 Welcome and the comedy show where Mick and Mookie met

02:36 The Because: bringing happiness and joy

03:29 How his mother helped him discover comedy

04:10 Being funny online versus performing on stage

05:36 Tough rooms and protecting your own material

07:42 The Unplugged Truth: developing jokes

11:04 Hosting, featuring, and headlining

12:42 Hot Takes: getting attention and staying yourself

14:05 Building visibility through social media

16:40 Be yourself, self-love, and finding joy

18:23 Houston loyalty and Beaumont roots

22:26 Why Atlanta felt full of possibility

23:49 The Room: the comedy class that changed his path

25:45 Trusting silence and finding your pace

28:45 New projects and getting booked

29:59 Performing your best when opportunity is watching

33:15 Where to find Mookie and the story behind the merch

34:47 The Unplugged Five: comedy, football, and food

38:03 The legacy he wants to leave

39:30 Closing: your because is your superpower

Subscribe to Mick Unplugged for conversations about the because behind the journey.

Connect & Discover Mookie G:

Instagram: @mookie_g_comedy

Facebook: @mookiegcomedy

Website: mookieg.com



FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: @mickhunt

Website: MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One

D.L. Hughley wanted one more conversation with his father. He put it into Charlie's Boy.

In this episode of Mick Unplugged, D.L. joins me to talk about his new memoir, the man who raised him and the parts of fatherhood he understands differently now.

We get into duty, family silence and why providing for your children can become so consuming that being present gets pushed aside. D.L. shares what he learned about Charlie after his death and why he makes a deliberate effort to let his own children know him.

I also tell D.L. how his backstage mentorship changed the way I approached my podcast and my business. We talk about knowing the rules, owning your decisions and understanding why people keep listening.

You'll hear:

- The conversation behind Charlie's Boy

- What showing up does for a father-child relationship

- The pressure to keep working, even when it costs you time at home

- Why finding his way into comedy also brought survivor's guilt

- A reunion 25 years after an act of kindness

- D.L.'s take on freedom of speech, consequences and protecting your peace

I'm giving a copy of Charlie's Boy to the first 100 people who DM "Charlie's Boy" to @mickunplugged on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

CHAPTERS

00:00 The conversation D.L. never had with his father

00:11 Meet D.L. Hughley

00:55 The Because: Faith, hope and connection

04:12 The Unplugged Truth: The father behind Charlie's Boy

07:12 Duty, love and the words fathers do not say

10:36 Why D.L. wrote Charlie's Boy

11:45 Hot Takes: Hurt, offense and growth

14:30 Free speech and consequences

16:22 Fatherhood and the trust built by showing up

21:56 What D.L. learned about Charlie's work life

26:03 The Room: Finding a way forward through comedy

28:02 Survivor's guilt and appreciating your life

29:05 An act of kindness comes back 25 years later

32:06 The backstage advice that changed Mick's approach to media

34:11 Mick's 100-book offer

35:22 The Unplugged Five: What makes D.L. laugh

36:37 The conversation America avoids

37:45 Human connection and why people keep listening

41:34 D.L.'s go-to drinks

42:35 Other people's opinions and protecting your attention

44:27 Closing conversation

CONNECT & DISCOVER D.L. HUGHLEY

Book: Charlie's Boy: A Memoir

https://a.co/d/0bV9x1UZ

Instagram: @realdlhughley

https://www.instagram.com/realdlhughley/

Facebook: @RealDLHughley

https://www.facebook.com/RealDLHughley/

YouTube: DL Hughley

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6B_HuuSaR-IDsKuJVK0LEw

FOLLOW MICK

Instagram: @mickunplugged

https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast

https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: @mickhunt

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/

Website: https://mickhuntofficial.com/

Book: How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One

https://howtobeagoodleader.com/

Apple Podcasts: Mick Unplugged

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/id1731755953

Spotify: Mick Unplugged

https://open.spotify.com/show/2cUp7JRzkVqunYmD2ENe4g

Content note: Explicit language and discussion of grief and family relationships.

What makes a bottle worth remembering? For Dixon Dedman, the answer starts with the people who share it.

The master blender behind 2XO joins Mick Hunt for a conversation about bourbon, hospitality, creative conviction, and the legacy he hopes to leave his children. Dixon explains how his family's hospitality roots shaped his purpose, why blending requires more than mixing percentages, and how he approaches mouthfeel, maturation, and secondary oak exposure.

Mick also tastes Rapper's Delight during the conversation, and Dixon shares the story of a father and son celebrating a new generation with a bottle of Kentucky Owl. That moment brings the conversation back to his because: making something that becomes part of another person's meaningful experience.

In this episode:

How hospitality shaped Dixon's purpose and approach to bourbon

The challenge of reproducing a small sample blend at barrel scale

Why creative conviction matters when developing a whiskey

His focus on mouthfeel, viscosity, and the overall drinking experience

The personal connections that matter beyond awards and ratings

His hope that the next generation will carry the family legacy forward

Listen for the lesson that travels beyond bourbon: exceeding expectations can turn a product or service into a moment someone remembers.

Chapters

00:00 A moment beyond selling bottles

00:40 Meet Dixon Dedman

03:06 What is your because?

07:30 Moments, memories, and personal connection

10:07 Unplugged Truth: the craft of blending

15:20 Putting a personal mark on whiskey

19:27 Hot Takes: tasting Rapper's Delight

22:01 Mouthfeel and the drinking experience

35:00 The Room: a toast to three generations

39:29 2XO and the recorded plans discussed

42:20 Unplugged 5

46:08 The legacy Dixon hopes to leave

48:08 Closing reflections

Follow Mick Unplugged for more conversations about purpose, leadership, and the because behind the work.

Connect & Discover Dixon Dedman:

Instagram: @dixon_dedman

LinkedIn: @dixon_dedman

X: @dixon_dedman

Website: 2xowhiskey.com



FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged

Facebook: @mickunpluggedYouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: @mickhunt

Website: MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

Book: How to be A Good Leader When You’ve Never Had One

#MickUnplugged #Leadership #Podcast #DixonDedman #2XOWhiskey