Derek Ikeda is a third-generation Japanese American carrying forward a family legacy rooted in farming, resilience, and great food. He operates Ikeda's Bakery alongside his father Glen, uncle Steve, and brother Brendyn—continuing a business first started by his grandparents, Sam and Sally Ikeda.

What began as a small orchard has grown into a Northern California staple: part bakery, part restaurant, part roadside market. Built on a true farm-to-fork foundation, Ikeda’s has become known for its fresh fruit, homemade goods, and especially its iconic pies—made from the same land and traditions that started it all.

Today, Derek helps lead the evolution of the business while staying rooted in its origins—serving high-quality, honest food to generations of loyal customers and new travelers passing through the I-80 corridor.

https://www.ikedas.com/

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Entrepreneur, TV host, and Certified Chef, Shelly Meyer brings unique flavor to everything she takes on. Chef Shelly is the host of Shelly’s Game Kitchen where she treats viewers to her incredible homecooked recipes. First airing on ROKU, Eat This TV Network in 2021, then transitioned to CarbonTV in 2023, available on multiple Streaming Platforms.

Beyond her work in front of the camera, Chef Shelly owns and operates the Montana Flavor spice company where she sells her signature blends. In 2022, her Espresso Rub won a respectable 2nd place in the International Flavor Awards. Followed by her Fish & Seafood seasoning winning in 2023.

Shelly started cooking professionally in 2000 through a catering business she ran with her husband. As a couple, they went on to own and operate a steakhouse for a decade. When the restaurant closed she decided to further pursue her passion for cooking by attending culinary school, graduating at the top of her class at age 50.

Chef Shelly offers her services as a private chef, exclusively for guests of Chief Joseph Ranch, in Darby, Montana, where the popular show Yellowstone is filmed.

Great to have Chef Shelly on the podcast to talk about her origins and expansive experience in cooking a myriad of wild game recipes.

https://chefshellymeyer.com

https://www.montanaflavor.com/

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Jeff Nichols is a former U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six operator and exercise
physiologist who brings real-world combat and human-performance science
together to prepare the next generation of Navy SEAL, BUD/S, and Special
Forces candidates.

As the Department Head of Human Performance at SEAL Team Six, Jeff spent
nearly a decade designing and implementing strength, conditioning, and recovery programs for the military’s most elite operators. His approach is not theory-based - it’s built on years of firsthand experience
performing at, and coaching others to reach, the absolute peak of tactical and athletic capability.

After leaving active duty, Jeff founded Performance First. In Banks,
Alabama, the 28-acre training facility and 10,000-square-foot performance
center is dedicated to special-operations preparation, BUD/S physical and
mental readiness, and elite human performance.

Jeff’s mission is to develop complete warriors - men and women capable of
excelling under pressure, mastering stress, and performing with discipline and confidence in any environment. His programs combine tactical fitness, mental-toughness development, and evidence-based
performance physiology to produce measurable results.

From his years as a SEAL Team Six operator to his expertise in exercise physiology, Jeff Nichols stands apart as the only active BUD/S and Special Operations trainer with direct experience at the highest level of Naval Special Warfare. His work continues to influence the future of Navy SEAL preparation, tactical human performance, and elite-operator
training worldwide.

https://www.performancefirstus.com

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