There’s a certain kind of confidence you only get from the Northeast. It’s blunt. It’s unapologetic. It usually comes with strong opinions about bread. Ryan McKeown has all of it. We sat down with the Peppi’s Pizza owner in the Design District and within five minutes it was clear, this isn’t another Miami restaurant trying to be “vibey.” It’s a mission. Ryan explained to us in our interview “You know, a lot of places serve what I call a steak and cheese, but have never stepped foot in Philly. For me, it’s not about copying tradition, it’s about understanding where it’s going.” And honestly, that tells you everything you need to know.

If you’ve ever scrolled through the high-energy world of Dr. Miami, you know it isn’t just “a medical practice.” It feels like a world - unfiltered, cinematic, and wildly intentional. It’s the kind of place where the rhythm of the operating room and the radical transparency of the lens feel designed to demystify an industry that was once kept in the shadows. That feeling comes from Dr. Michael Salzhauer. Michael’s story doesn’t start in a Bal Harbour penthouse. It starts in Rockland County, New York, with a kid who walked away from high school early and found his “restart” in a community college classroom. Driven by a childhood dream of surgery and a pivotal moment watching a Park Avenue doctor work magic on his wife’s lip after an accident, Michael realized early on that plastic surgery wasn’t just medicine—it was the “magic” of transformation. In our conversation, Dr. Miami shares how the road to becoming a global brand was paved with the kind of hustle you don’t see on a viral feed. He arrived in Miami for residency and eventually opened his own doors with $30,000 in a brown paper bag and a lot of nerve. Before the fame, he was in the back of a Boca hair salon, personally running a laser hair removal machine on Saturdays just to keep the lights on. He was a board-certified surgeon doing the “un-glamorous” work because his mentor told him the first rule of the game: you do whatever it takes to provide for your family.

In this episode of Miami Minds, we sit down with Daniel Singer, founder of Filthy Foods, the premium drinks and cocktail garnishes brand that turned an overlooked detail into a global business. From hand-selecting olives to building a product trusted by top bars, hotels, and hospitality groups, Daniel shares how Filthy scaled without losing its edge. We talk Miami’s role in shaping his mindset, the difference between trends and standards, and what it really takes to build a brand that lives on bar carts, back bars, and in culture — not just on shelves.