Meet Amaris Pollock | Owner, Production Manager, & On-Air Host of Food, Farms, & Chefs Radio Show LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amaris Pollock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amaris, what do you attribute your success to?
I strongly believe that the relationships formed with the individuals, respective businesses, and events that we choose to highlight are integral to the success of any entity.

Whether you are first starting out versus owning/operating a well-established business, building a rapport with the people and their respective brand can open doors and build trust. For example one of my returning guests, Timothy Witcher (Celebrity Chef and Owner of The Wing Kitchen) has become a very trusted friend of mine, as well as someone I can call in case I need a last-minute segment to fill.

Another guest, Eric Meile (Owner and self-taught chef of Medford Bagel Shop) was on the show. After his guest appearance, he reached out to let me know that our shows listeners were coming in asking for the bagel and cream cheese he created per my request. Those same visitors continued to frequent his bagel shop, which I deeply appreciated the feedback as well as offering Eric and Medford Bagel Shop the opportunity to be highlighted on Food, Farms, & Chefs.

So no matter what you do in your life, career, or in any partnership…one of the most impactful things you can do is network and build long-lasting relationships. You never know what doors will open, and what opportunities you or they can bring about.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Where I currently am was a long arduous path. I initially began after I suffered a major injury while working as a Hospital Assistant and nurse aide for a local 24-7 Emergency Veterinary Hospital. One of the scariest things to happen in my life, yet unknowingly the crucial key-moment that changed not only my mindset, it changed my career.

I used to think very negatively, and the moment I lost my ability to walk it made me realize several things:
1. I now am grateful for everything that I’m capable of doing, especially the ability to walk.
2. In order to heal, I needed to maintain a positive outlook. Now, even if I face a challenge and not accomplish it to completion, I still look at it as being a learning opportunity.
3. Do not allow your fears to hold you back. Have I ever been afraid to say yes to something? Of course I have, but you never know what you are capable of or if you can do something if you don’t try. So try and fail, learn from it and try again. Chances are, you’ll succeed if you keep at it.
4. Make a decision and be comfortable with the outcome. This throws back to some of the other things on my list, but no matter what happens, you first need to ask yourself if you will feel comfortable if you do not find success the first time and feel confident enough in yourself to keep trying. Of course, if you do succeed the first time-I congratulate you and wish you the very best!

Anyhow, after multiple surgical procedures, five years on crutches, and more physical therapy (PT) appointments than I can even begin to explain I was able to walk again. Mind you, I always feel pain (some days far more than others) but regardless of how I’m feeling, I continue trying.

So throughout the period of time that I couldn’t walk, I began creating recipes in my head and tweeting them out (“X” formerly known as Twitter). That gained the attention of an online digital magazine (which I omit the name for personal reasons) which contacted me, asking if I would create recipes for their magazine. Elated at the opportunity, I began doing just that. After some time had passed, said magazine asked me to cover a very large event since their other reporter was unable to cover it. At the time, I was still on crutches and finishing up my years in PT, but I relished the chance to write an actual article! So I went, and fell in love with the chaos, the crowds, and the ability to share the experience to the masses.

After that first event’s article was published, I was asked to cover more; years later I was still writing and doing so as a freelancer. Being published with both my writing and photographs brought me joy, and filled the void when I was told I could never go back to being a Veterinary Technician. I learned that I could pivot, that I could survive no matter what life throws at me, and that I was far more confident in myself than I’d ever been.

As one door closes…another opens. Eventually I needed to sever the relationship with the original magazine; I had found out some untrustworthy actions on the magazines behalf, directly taken against my growth. However, there were numerous other opportunities presenting themselves to me because of how I conduct myself, and the relationships I had formed. So I wrote for other magazines, a few newspapers, I became a Board Member of a Foundation (that is no longer in existent), and I was brought on for guest appearances and guest hosting for several podcasts. Eventually, one of the offers was too good to resist, and I joined what used to be called Dining On A Dime podcast.

After joining, which was an opportunity offered by the former DOD Manager, John Cohl, I began finding my style as a co-host and implementing changes to the format during my live airtime allotments. The reception to my segments was very popular, and as all the other hosts, minus one, left the show-I integrated my format into the full episode. Doing this drove the shows listener counts higher. Two years after I had joined, the audience and stats of DOD had doubled. By the time Gene Blum joined the show we were on the cusp of quadrupling from the original show stats. A year later the last vestiges of DOD were slowly erased. The show’s new direction was fully based on my hard work, implementation of changes, and a successful format, so we changed the name to Food, Farms, & Chefs Radio Show LLC. With the new name reflecting the direction I was heading us in, and with the addition of Gene Blum’s knowledge and vast connections within the culinary industry, FF&C’s listener count and stats nudged us above the quadruple mark.

Now, we are the most listened to culinary-based shows airing on three syndicated radio stations in the NorthEast (WWDB & WPEN at 6pm EST on Tuesdays, and WMLD at 1pm EST on Fridays) and streaming globally on all major and minor platforms, with 200 thousand to half a million listeners per week.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is debatable, based on what the season is when they visit. I’ll base this on the end of summer; the weather is beginning to get cooler at night, and usually gorgeous during the day.

I would suggest they stay at an airbnb if they’re bringing a larger group with them, if it’s just them then they can obviously stay with me. For breakfast I’d suggest Parc for an upscaled brunch and leisurely stroll through Rittenhouse Park afterwards; pro tip: On the weekends, Rittenhouse Square runs a locally-made farmers market, and if you want an extra cup of coffee, there’s a great some great spots in and around the Square (La Colombe, Metropolitan Bakery, & inside Barnes and Noble there’s a Starbucks upstairs).

From there, so much is at your fingertips! Philadelphia is full of museums, historical sites to visit, public parks, and more–so it depends on the person’s personal desires. I’d suggest to a first-time visitor that we go on a hop-on, hop-off self-guided tour. That way you can experience a lot of the landmarks, museums, and areas of Philadelphia to guarantee you enjoy the visit at your own pace. Along the way, I’d suggest restaurants like Harper’s Garden and be sure to make a reservation for the outdoors seating-you’ll be surrounded by the fresh herbs and edible flowers the chefs and mixologists use in their menus; Talula’s Garden for the same reasons; Suraya in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties/Fishtown area for an abundance of flavor of Lebanese cuisine. A few short steps away is one of my favorite sweet spots: Cake Life Bake Shop; you may already know their name as they’re Queen B and Lizzo’s go-to when in Philly. Also only steps from there is Kengsington Quarters where you and your friend(s) can share fresh bites, take classes, and/or shop at. Oh the list can just keep going…there are so many amazing and delicious places to eat in Philadelphia and it’s surrounding suburbs.

If you’re rounding out your meals, I also suggest picking up some artistic and unique desserts from Cake & Joe. They have two locations in Philly, and it’s worth every single morsel of their delicate desserts. Visually they give you pause because they’re beautiful to look at, but that first bite will cause you to luxuriate in the deeply decadent flavors. Trust me, you are missing out on something exquisite if you pass them up.

For the views and a great way to toast to a wonderful visit, I recommend Assembly (Rooftop Bar). The bar offers some of the best cocktails around, and to top it off you’ll enjoy sweeping views of iconic Philadelphian landmarks. For something a little more fun, I suggest checking out Moshulu for their menu, atmosphere, and cocktails. If you’re making it a bar hopping night, its also a great place to start out. From the Moshulu you can walk to River Beer Garden at Race Street Pier, or a short ride share to Morgan’s Pier, Old City for numerous bars & eateries, or venture over to East Passyunk Avenue for Distilleries & Breweries, Restaurants, Shopping and more!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If not for a fellow foodie, I would not have weathered the storm when an individual sought to stifle my voice. So I dedicate my shout-out to John Cohl (IG: @jcohl ) who became a very close friend in my early days, and was one of several shows that wanted to bring me on as a host. If you’ve ever met John, and have a close friendship with him, you’ll meet someone who is honest, helpful, trust-worthy and an all-around great guy.

He saw in me what others have seen, and wanted to offer an opportunity to build something on my own terms while offering guidance when I asked for it.

I also want to give a shoutout to where the show had its beginnings: Dining On A Dime (DOD). The original podcast and co-hosts were a eclectic collection of personalities, and the format was equally loose. When I joined them, I began making changes; small at first, and much bigger ones later–until I formed a solid interview format. Eventually, Gene Blum joined the show before I made the final change from DOD to Food, Farms, & Chefs Radio Show LLC (FF&C’s).

Gene Blum (IG: @ibfoodie2 ) is also a wonderful person to know. As a Chef, Culinary Historian, and my Co-Owner of FF&C’s, I value his input, dedication, and vast knowledge of the culinary industry. Not only that, but certain aspects of his interview processes that I have enveloped and made my own; I believe we are always learning, and it is best to learn from people (like Gene) who you trust.

Instagram: @arpollockus; @foodfarmsandchefs

Linkedin: @AmarisPollock; @Food Farms & Chefs Podcast

Twitter: @arpollockus; @foodfarmsnchefs

Facebook: @AmarisPollock; @Food Farms And Chefs

Youtube: @amarispollock71 (Food Farms and Chefs videos are on my YouTube channel)

Other: Pinterest: @amarispollock Google Local Guides: Amaris Pollock versus arpollockus@gmail.com

Image Credits
All photos were taken by myself, Amaris Pollock, minus the one where I was in the photograph with Jesse Bongiovi–I adjusted the settings and allowed a random guest in attendance to depress the shutter. Photos were taken of/at and with the permission of: Wawa Welcome America Festival; The Philadelphia Zoo; WWDB and Beasley Media Group; Pixar Putt (and The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing); Hampton Water, Jesse Bongiovi, and the Moshulu (of the Fearless Restaurant Group).