Blake Cortes is a Brooklyn-born Latino Narrative and Documentary Cinematographer and Artist with a deep commitment and passion for telling people's stories and keeping the local artists local.

(00:00) Intro

(02:00) How We Met

(4:35) More Than a Cup Documentary

(13:10) In a Coma and Awakening

(17:00) Discovering Painting as Therapy

(21:40) Art Docs TV and the Itch to Create

(39:40) Tampa Film Industry

(43:10) Scorsese, Black Coffee, and Biopic

(49:30) Persistence and Finding Your Outlet

(53:55) Final Words of Advice

(56:30) Where to Find Blake Cortes

Find Blake Cortes on:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

ArtDocs TV on YouTube

Website:

⁠Blake Cortes DP⁠⁠⁠⁠

Produced by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Palm Tree Content⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Mitchell⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Elevation Coffee Roasters

Chris Barakat is an IFBB Pro Natural Bodybuilder, Coach, Researcher, Professor, and founder of Beyond Body Building.

The word we kept coming back to was "Resilience." Chris and his family went through the most insane trials and obstacles from 2021-2025 and their story of resilience and support is truly inspiring.

(00:00) Intro

(00:25) Coffee Talk

(3:30) Natural Body Building

(9:45) Earning the IFBB Pro Card

(15:30) Generics Are a Factor

(18:15) Trials and Obstacles in 2021

(21:15) Exercise Science Research

(23:00) River

(24:00) Becoming a Father and Return to Prep

(38:30) Broken Foot and Mold Toxicity in Prep

(44:45) Baby on Board and a Scare During Overseas Show

(50:15) Posing is an Art

(53:00) Was 2025 the Final Season?

(56:00) Rapid Fire

(1:03:00) Final Words of Advice

Find Chris Barakat:

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

YouTube

Website:

⁠⁠Beyond Body Building⁠

Produced by:

⁠⁠⁠Palm Tree Content⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Mitchell⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Elevation Coffee Roasters

Tom Pestock, also known as WWE superstar Baron Corbin and currently going by Bishop Dyer, joins me today to talk about Coffee, Wrestling, Fatherhood, Going into Business together with Autonomy Coffee Lab, and so much more.

(00:00) Intro

(00:45) How We Met in Coffee

(02:00) I thought he was a Stunt Man

(3:15) WWE Highlights

(3:45) End of Days Never Kicked Out of?

(5:30) The Constable - Acting WWE GM

(8:30) NFL Days and Earning Your Way

(11:20) NFL-to-WWE

(13:00) Pottery and Ceramics

(18:15) Why Pursue Coffee?

(22:15) Open Air Coffee

(26:00) Being a Girl Dad

(32:00) Missing a Birth

(36:00) Girls will Change You

(40:00) Fostering a Creative Environment

(43:30) It's Not Easy! Don't Give Up

(47:30) Tom's Upcoming YouTube Channel

(50:00) Learning the Art of Cooking

(53:45) Future in Wrestling?

(54:35) What Would it take to go back to WWE?

(55:55) Reputation for Being Safe to Work With

(59:45) Hip-tossing Big Show

(1:00:15) Go-to Coffee Order

(1:01:45) Cortado > Flat White (Sorry, John Cena)

(1:02:10) Relationship with John Cena

(1:04:30) Deathrow Meal and Mom's "Egg Dish"

(1:08:15) Favorite Bottle of Wine

(1:10:45) Once-in-a-Lifetime Wine Event

(1:12:55) One Final Match (Dead and Alive)

(1:13:40) One Cup of Coffee (Dead or Alive)

(1:14:35) Final Words of Advice for Creatives

Find Tom Pestock on:

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

Autonomy Coffee Lab

Website:

Open Air Coffee⁠⁠

Produced by:

⁠⁠⁠Palm Tree Content⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Mitchell⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Elevation Coffee Roasters