Mocktails Or Messy

#59: The #Oaklander with Destination LA's Derrial Christon

• Ryan Frankowski & Kelly Mizgorski

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SPEAKER_04:

What's up? You're an ads or all, right? Oh, am I? Yeah. Is it a question or a statement? That's a statement. I agree with you.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah. A question mark. I know he is an adulter. So Kelly's gonna start it us off with this.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, yeah, I was just gonna say Oakland itself. It's like it's the cultural and academic heart of Pittsburgh. So there's lots tons of universities and museums, and it's where everything collides right here. We're in the heart of Pittsburgh, and we're right across from the Cathedral of Learning. For anyone that doesn't know, you know, where the Oakland or Hotel is.

SPEAKER_06:

It's kind of nice outside of your room.

SPEAKER_05:

You can see it. And then right across from me was the is that that's the museum that from my window? What was it?

SPEAKER_06:

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial. Memorial. Okay.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, there's like a lot of events that are happening. And then the university is close to here.

SPEAKER_06:

Yes. Yeah, University of Pittsburgh is right there. We have Carnegie Mellon University down the street. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Is there another one? CMU? Is that here too?

SPEAKER_06:

That's that's Carnegie Mellon. Oh, duh. Yeah, she's a little bit of like, you know, I'm not a city girl. She's where are you from?

SPEAKER_03:

I'm just from like the suburbs.

SPEAKER_06:

Pittsburgh?

SPEAKER_03:

Uh yeah, 45 minutes away.

SPEAKER_06:

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03:

Same place as Chat.

SPEAKER_06:

Steve wouldn't even be able to get around if it wasn't for OPS. Okay. Yeah, that's fair.

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, his dad owned a restaurant in Pittsburgh, so he grew up here and he knows his way around.

SPEAKER_06:

I wanted to take you there last night, but we ended up going to Fermanny's. What did you think of your first Fermanny sandwich?

SPEAKER_05:

It was really good. Uh very hardy.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh very, very hearty.

SPEAKER_03:

Uh did you get a little acid reflux?

SPEAKER_04:

No, no.

SPEAKER_05:

But what's funny because the guy who was our server, since I had never been there, he wanted me to have the full experience. So he I was like, Well, which one should I get? You know, it's a lot on the mix. And he's like, Well, my favorite's the chicken. The grilled chicken, but he said the cake and the chicken, but he said that you should get the pastrami. Yeah. I am glad we ended up sharing one. They're all shared, like we split, split, split. And I actually really enjoyed the pastrami. And I'm not gonna do that. That's what I get. I get the pastrami. It's really good. I actually liked it more than the chicken. I told him.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I do too.

SPEAKER_05:

It was good. They both are good, but the pastrami is really good.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I'm glad you got to try it. I some people were freaked out about the French fries in the sandwich. No, I'm all about it.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, this is our guest from Los Angeles. We have Dario Christong. Christon. Christian? Christone. I know. Okay, Christone. I mean, it sounds a little French.

SPEAKER_04:

Is it? Yeah, I mean, my background, I have I'm Haitian French, so. Okay, that makes sense. And my family's also from the South.

SPEAKER_05:

So you got a little southern, you know, Haitian, and then you created me.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, thank you for making the trip from Los Angeles. I know you're a transient guy by coastal, New York, Los Angeles. We can never figure out where he's at. You mentioned to me he's coming to Nashville. You were coming to Nashville, you mentioned to Kelly, and so you squeezed us in in your trip. You know, it was a great you know stop in between here in Nashville. Thank you for coming on Mocktails or Messi! We have Daryl Cristone and the Oaklander today. We are here at the Oaklander. What do you think about this boutique hotel in Pittsburgh?

SPEAKER_05:

You know, I'm I grew up with a mother who is very detail-oriented with like interior design. Um, she wasn't an interior designer, but I swear she should have been. It was her other calling. And I feel like I got a little bit of that when I go places. I'm always looking at what it looks like, how is it created, what the design is. And I when I walked into this hotel, especially my room, it's unbelievable. I mean, yeah, you could tell there's history, but it's like very art deco, it's got swag to it. And it's kind of in the heart of you know the city, so it's very cool. I I love the room.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, and you were asking me like, where exactly are we in the city? Are we downtown? Are we in a neighborhood, or like are we near like, you know, like a cool like place to be? I would say this is really young, vibrant part of the city. You mentioned Oakland is like, you know, culturally very like eclectic because you have the universities around us.

SPEAKER_03:

And then the museum. So it's like all like you know, universities and then the history, it all comes together.

SPEAKER_06:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03:

Perfect location.

SPEAKER_06:

So we want to make sure since you were taking the trip, we want to get a charcuterie board. We want to make sure you're well fed with the Hermann's brothers last night, charcuterie today. Now, what is your favorite? Like, do you dabble with the mocktails? Are you more of like just like a cocktail?

SPEAKER_04:

Give me tequila, baby. No. Uh I mean, I am.

SPEAKER_05:

It's five o'clock. It's five o'clock stuff. Yes. Um, I do love my tequila. Yeah. Umigos. Casamigos. And I do like a uh a nice glass of wine as well. Those are probably my two notes.

SPEAKER_03:

Red or white.

SPEAKER_05:

I'm a redder.

SPEAKER_02:

Me too.

SPEAKER_05:

A redder. A redder. I like a good, like either a blend or a Pinot Noir. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Like medium. You don't want it too dry. You don't want it too heavy.

SPEAKER_04:

Medium. Yeah, medium body. Yeah. I don't like it tasting too sweet or too light, though. Yeah, it's I got it.

SPEAKER_06:

A strong medium. Strong medium. I guess that sounds great.

SPEAKER_03:

I feel that, yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah. What about you? You're at one out.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I'm like Cabernet Sauvignon. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay, yeah. So she's different. I mean, that's different. Well, I feel like I always like to dry one since I have been like sober 100 and what. Or no, it's been 500 days. And I feel like today is 500 days. I think today is 500 days. Yeah, so you are celebrating with me on this 500 day sobriety cleanse. Wow, congratulations. I mean, there is something about it. Like, I do really appreciate now like much more of like the simple things in life because you know, before whenever we were in LA, you know, during the pandemic, we got a little messy. We, you know, we overindulge. I know myself, I got kicked out of a couple parties or two. Now, do you remember that one time? I think we got kicked out together.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

You gotta tell the story now.

SPEAKER_06:

You gotta spill the tea, right? Yeah, we have our friends.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, we have a mutual friend who's also a very talented and um, you know, it was it was after the well, it was during the pandemic.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, for me 2020. It was yeah, 2020. And for me, I had just been so paranoid about like everyone else, COVID. Yes, um, I actually am one of those rare people that's never had COVID that I know of. What? I've never had it. My mother and I are the two everyone in our family has had it. We were in the house with our kid that they got it, my mom and I never got it.

SPEAKER_03:

Or did you test for it? I tested for it, yeah. Oh, okay, interesting.

SPEAKER_05:

And I did I, yep, I never had it. Um, and you know, I think that I was just as media had put it out there, the fear of God about being around people. Our friend George decided to have a nice party in the back to sort of a distance party is what was supposed to be. It was not very distant with people. Um, but we when I got there, I think I just was so anxious because it was my first party that I had had gone to with that amount of people. I had done little small groups with my small circle, but this was 50 people in the backyard. So for me, I think that wine uh and well not just wine, probably tequila as well, as I recall, actually. Uh that helped me to um uh let's just say get rid of my fear. But then when you mix that with not eating that much, oh yeah, you know, by the end of the evening, you know, I was I I I was a little messy. I mean, I was like, let me like, whoa, let me, you know, what's going on here? You know, and it just all hit me all at once. And uh yeah, our friend George Um uh graced. What's going on here? Was trying to figure out what was going on and was like, Yeah, we gotta go home, but you gotta get out of here.

SPEAKER_06:

He did, I guess.

SPEAKER_05:

So pretty much he sort of said that, but not really, but he did. Yeah, so yeah, it was a moment.

SPEAKER_03:

I wish I knew like what you were doing.

SPEAKER_06:

Uh oh, what was I doing? Let's see. Um we were messing with you. Remember the guy that I was with.

SPEAKER_07:

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah. I think we were just messing with him and he pushing his buttons. And you know how sometimes whenever somebody's so easy to push their buttons. Yeah. Like and we're buzz and we're having a game. So you guys were starting to do that. Well, I mean, I kind of remember the exact thing now. You said we had to like dissect it last night. Last night, yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay, so I had just I think I I think I just met, did I just have met you then or have met you maybe? Yeah. I think I just met you.

SPEAKER_06:

We met that night.

SPEAKER_05:

That night, and we were just chatting. I mean, just like you or anyone else. And um, his friend uh at the time, I think, just um didn't like that we were chatting. Yeah. Um and uh accused me of of us of doing more than like chatting a lot.

SPEAKER_06:

Inappropriate.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, inappropriate. And well, I just I just I don't even know him. I just met him. Actually, you don't need to worry about me.

SPEAKER_03:

He probably was being inappropriate. Like, honestly, if he was drinking, I don't want to call him. That's why he's sober now. Okay, he was definitely hitting on you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Uh I don't um possibly. Probably. Maybe uh and she didn't sleep pretty well. But I was unaware of that. Uh and his friend thought that there was there was something happening. And I was like, you don't have to worry about me. I'm not the problem. That guy over there is the problem.

SPEAKER_06:

He literally projected.

SPEAKER_05:

I literally projected, yeah, and well, not even him, it was our friend. Oh, another guy. So George. Yeah, and I said it was those two. I was like, you don't have to worry about me. I'm I'm good. You two, you need to worry about him. And then it just sort of spiraled from there because George is caught off guard. Uh and I don't know why I said it. And I don't, I think it was that's where it was got. I don't know why I said that. The alcohol talk. Yeah, it was just I just I think I was just taking it away from me. Yeah, right. And George happened to walk past. I was like, there you go, that's that's the one you need to worry about right there.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_04:

Think on the spot.

SPEAKER_06:

And that's kind of where you're, you know, it comes into play. You do really like handle yourself well on and off camera. So, like a lot of people that know you tell us a little bit about your background in journalism, but not officially like formally trained, but you wouldn't notice. You barely are one of the people that I follow, and I've always kind of seen you. And I'm like, when I met you, I was like, oh my god, he's a news anchor. Yeah, but you're an entertainment correspondent.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, I focus on the entertainment side of things. Um well, it's been a very interesting journey because it's also funny, too, when you hear people, when I my friends see me on television, they're like, Oh, you're so put together, you're so polished, and then or like they only knew what you're like, you know, sitting at home with jokes and you know, I was you know, I always got jokes. I love it.

SPEAKER_03:

We love a man with two sides.

SPEAKER_05:

You know, I mean, again, listen, you have to you have to be professional, and but you also have to have fun. Yeah, that's what life's all about, right? So I feel like I have a good balance of both.

SPEAKER_07:

Business and pleasure.

SPEAKER_05:

Business and pleasure in more ways than one, you know, like there's that covers lots of spectrums, you know.

SPEAKER_06:

Um you've never seen that in the industry, right?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, you know, I mean I mean, listen, you you you can't put all your cars out there all the time. I don't I mean, some people are when you are able to do that. I look I actually look at journalists and I look at hosts, and when they're able to just fully put put them their all the personal business out there, I commend them because I still they're still a part of me. I think growing up, though, you know, I had a very traditional household.

SPEAKER_06:

Um, you know, yeah, your mother was an attorney, your father was Yeah, and my yeah, and my dad was an engineer, and oh yeah, and or like a computer engineer.

SPEAKER_05:

Right. And so, you know, going back and looking at it now, I had a very structured household. You know, very traditional structured household. Yeah, my sister and I always thought we were rich. My sister's an attorney. I love that statement.

SPEAKER_06:

He told me that last night. It feels like it's powerful. Which part? To be like, you always feel like you were rich growing up because you didn't have to worry. No, never had to worry. I think we both had understanding of like knowing, like, oh shit, like we have to like work hard or we have to go to work. Yeah, you know, yeah. Well, it's funny. I'm not saying that any other way. Well you try to say about me. I'm saying we were a little jealous, we're a little envious of your childhood.

SPEAKER_05:

No, well, it was it was one of those things where I will say that my parents definitely gave us a lot. Um my sister and I did think we were rich because we got, you know, the toys and clothes and everything and better things. And but on the flip side of that, my mom is also like, okay, you're gonna work. Like she got me my first job when I was in ninth grade. I worked at Long John Silvers, if anybody knows what that is. Actually, before that, I was the neighborhood babysitter in lawnmower. So I would charge$5 for lawnmower and I would charge$20 for babysitting, like neighborhood kids, which was great because I had money. I and it taught me the value of money. I always had, I've even to this day, I've always appreciated just being independent and having my own money. And I think that that is something that I was taught very young, my sister and I. But um, to answer your question about journalism, I didn't go the traditional route of uh of what journalism have a business background. I went to the Ohio.

SPEAKER_06:

The Ohio State. I don't know if we didn't get along anymore.

SPEAKER_05:

No box and state of the book. Oh, well, this was a great interview, isn't it? And I'm gonna say goodbye on this podcast. Uh no, so it looks like you really left. He's done. He's never gone. Uh we really are not gonna talk.

SPEAKER_06:

Um I don't know. We've become this close of friends. I don't think we can let our university background.

SPEAKER_05:

No, I mean let's not have cousins who went to Michigan. So if I can get past that.

SPEAKER_06:

What's worse? Like Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State, Michigan? Michigan will always be worse. Thank you. So, Kelly, can you tell us what these are?

unknown:

Excellent.

SPEAKER_00:

So we have uh Pomegram, Blackberry, raspberry, and a little bit of coconut water. Ooh.

SPEAKER_07:

Nice.

SPEAKER_00:

This one will be orange, we have ginger kombucha, ginger honey syrup, and then a little bit of thyme.

SPEAKER_07:

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00:

And then this one will be cucumber, mint, coconut water. We have vanilla simple syrup there. It's very hearty.

SPEAKER_06:

That looks delicious.

SPEAKER_00:

That sounds like a little bit of a little bit more.

SPEAKER_06:

Which one should we try first?

SPEAKER_00:

My favorite.

SPEAKER_06:

Oh, and we have a fourth one?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Oh my god, we're getting spoiled.

SPEAKER_01:

I know.

SPEAKER_05:

I think I have the pre pee. Alright. Just looking at the back. I have a diapen. You got a pre-pee.

SPEAKER_06:

Your diapen. I sent you one to your room, so we didn't have to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

And then this one is uh banana berries.

SPEAKER_06:

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that sounds good. Okay. No kombucha. So kombucha and these two. The rest.

SPEAKER_05:

So these two are your favorites. So should we start with a favorite or should we start with a regular and then go to favorite?

SPEAKER_06:

I like how you like said regular.

SPEAKER_00:

The star. Oh.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, okay. I like I like the order. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

That's how we're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_06:

All right, I like this order. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you. Cucumber. Cheers. Cheers. Tomtails are messy and Dario. Cristol. That's tasty. That's very bad. Do you know what I love about this kind of mocktail? I feel like I'm drinking a cocktail because of the like actual coop. Yeah. Is that a coop?

SPEAKER_03:

I don't what does that mean?

SPEAKER_06:

It's a coop is like a type of glass. That was real fancy.

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_06:

It's like a coop. I like that. That's gonna be my new vocabulary word. I know. You are a little coopy. I'm a little coop.

SPEAKER_07:

Like, what are you talking about?

SPEAKER_06:

It's a type of glass. And you know what? It might not even be a coup. Do you know what type of glass is? Is that a coup? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. Sometimes you say some really smart.

SPEAKER_06:

I was really smart. I was impressed. I think a lot of times people do really think of her as like the dumb blonde and me as like the brilliant one. Okay.

SPEAKER_07:

But that's not true.

unknown:

Are those are those?

SPEAKER_04:

Okay, I don't know much to say about that.

SPEAKER_06:

Nickan Nord?

unknown:

Nick and Nord.

SPEAKER_06:

Nick and I think they said this is Sage, so she is not a dumb blonde. And that's really.

SPEAKER_05:

Are those stereotypes still real? No, no, no.

SPEAKER_06:

I mean, that makes me feel like I'm gonna get canceled.

SPEAKER_05:

I haven't heard anyone say that for a long time. I'm gonna get canceled.

SPEAKER_03:

I think our generation thinks that, but maybe the older generation.

SPEAKER_05:

No, because I feel like everybody's trying to be blonde. So I mean they're bleaching it.

SPEAKER_06:

I'm sure you bleached yours.

SPEAKER_05:

You know what? I did go through um a phase of uh I bleached, I did a little short. Yeah, um, do you remember um the group uh gosh his name is Cisco? Cisco, that thong song.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Uh he had that blonde, you know. And I I did, I was in Miami and I was like, you know what, let me just try something different. It was fun. You know, almost, I mean, I almost destroyed my hair, but yeah, it was very dry.

SPEAKER_06:

At least you could like cut it off quick.

SPEAKER_05:

True. Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_03:

You might go to a good stylist, or it will it'll cinch.

SPEAKER_05:

It'll, it'll, it'll, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I've had mine like fall out because I try to do it myself.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, well, it looks very natural, so thank you.

SPEAKER_06:

This is pretty good.

SPEAKER_03:

It is good. So this is Spirits and Tails.

SPEAKER_06:

Spirits and Tails in the Oaklander.

SPEAKER_03:

So are we getting messy with a mock tail?

SPEAKER_06:

We are gonna get messy with a mock tail, which means like we're gonna spill the tea. We're gonna, you know, go over all the details. Who's the real Doriel? Please stand up.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay, well, I'm here.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay, so I really like this one. Should we dabble into the next one? Yeah, yeah, just real quick. And then you tell me what you like the best. Because then we'll name it like the Doriel Cristone cocktail. Mocktail.

SPEAKER_05:

It's funny, I'm not a big banana person, but that didn't have a it didn't have a banana taste, though.

SPEAKER_06:

That is really good. So that was a banana.

SPEAKER_03:

It's got a bit of a texture to it, I think, from the banana, and I like the texture.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, and I like that like bubble, the little bubble in there. I think that's pretty tasty. You like banana? I do though banana.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, I already know which one I like best.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay, so you tried them all.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay, sorry. Sorry, you don't have to tell me twice.

SPEAKER_06:

I'm like, oh damn, that is good. This is hard, though. That's hard. I like the tart. You do? Yeah. I was gonna say, I can feel it. Now, did you drink some of mine? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

This tastes a little bit like that tang stuff. That tang drink?

SPEAKER_05:

Oh wow, tang. Wow.

SPEAKER_06:

That's nice. It's a little honey, it's a little sweet. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

It's like it's like tang meets a little honey taste to it.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, it's sophisticated. It's definitely a sophisticated palette. So we're gonna go with Dario. What's your favorite moth?

SPEAKER_05:

Uh I'm gonna go with this. What is this? When was this? The Tarty Tardy for the Party.

SPEAKER_06:

Don't be tardy for the party. I can't remember. Which one was this again?

SPEAKER_01:

That was a delicious.

SPEAKER_05:

Velv Velvet? Velvet haste?

SPEAKER_03:

Velvet haste. I like a velvet haste.

SPEAKER_06:

Velvet haste.

SPEAKER_05:

Isn't this your favorite, Nelly? Velvet haze? This is my favorite. Mine too.

SPEAKER_03:

Come get the velvet haze. Okay.

SPEAKER_06:

Let's go to the velvet haze. Let's cheers to the velvet haze. Cheers to the velvet haze. Can we tell you how, if somebody wanted to get involved in the same career path as you?

SPEAKER_05:

Is there like a I didn't I didn't do the traditional route of going to be a journalist? So grew up in Ohio, uh, went to the Ohio State University, and I was a marketing and accounting major, double major. Um, but I always knew, even at a young age, that I wanted to get in entertainment, but I didn't know what in what capacity. I knew I wanted to be in front of the camera. I didn't know if that meant acting. I didn't know if that meant I didn't know what that meant, actually. Because, you know, in growing up in Ohio, it's not like growing up in LA where you just start meeting entertainment people, you know, every day. You can go to the grocery store and meet someone who works for entertainment who can change your life. That is not the case in Dayton, Ohio. And so um, so I all I knew was that the only way you could be in front of the camera for a journalist forum would be like a news anchor and report on the five-car pile-up and the 101. And that's not what I wanted to do. Or the 75, excuse me. I can't say 101 because that's LA. I have to say 75 because that's Ohio. And so I have to clarify my Ohio. Yeah. And so I, you know, I I just I wasn't sure what to do, but I just always did things. I was in high school, grade school, high school, always in plays. I wrote for the school newspaper. College wrote for the school newspaper. I had a radio show in college. And I started uh I had a I was actually uh dating a girl, shout out to Courtney. Uh this girl, Courtney in college. Hey Courtney, if you're listening, if you remember me from college. Uh I started dating her in college, a girl by the name of Courtney in college. I don't remember her last name, which is really bad, but that's okay. Um she knows who she is. Um her brother worked in uh at a record label uh in New York at the time called RCA, and she was interning there. And so I would talk to her all the time, like, I really want to get into entertainment. I I want to be in front of the camera, but I but I don't know, you know, and she's like, well, why don't you I give why don't you like get an internship? I'll put you in touch with my brother and see if there's something I can work out. Ironically, the internship at RCA didn't work out because what they were looking for at the time, I wasn't able to, it just wasn't, I was it was during they wanted me to take a quarter off of school at that time period. It just wasn't doable. But what it did open up to is that the brothers introduced me to other people in the industry and kept kind of my resume on file. I kept in contact with them and uh ended up introducing me to the editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine, uh Danielle Smith. Um, I met Danielle and I, you know, I was also very laser focused. When people ask me how'd you get to this part of your life? I've always been focused. Like I always had a vision. Even if I even if the vision didn't look exactly like I wanted it to, I always had a vision of a plan. And so my plan of action was to have a vision board? I have had vision boards. I'm not consistent with my vision boards, which I need to get more consistent with my vision boards.

SPEAKER_03:

It's like in your head that you have a very good idea.

SPEAKER_05:

It's in my visual in my head. But I still say when you put it in front of your face and you see it, it does consistently remind you more. It's easier to kind of like, uh, I sort of remember what I have in my brain. But when you see it in your face every day, it's like that space that you wake up, you're like, I gotta get this. Yeah. And so I ended up meeting the editor-in-chief of Vibe Magazine. Long story short, with that, she ended up bringing me in for a summer internship. Um and it changed my life. Um because I ended up the internship of vibe. I always tell people get internships, especially now. There's so many opportunities for kids and and or not just kids, but just people, if you want to change your career, get an internship. You know, um, it's a great way to kind of show your skills and get in the door somewhere. But did you survive on that internship to live in the world? I was very blow I actually was in New York. So I was very blessed because this is what I always say that I believe very strongly in the universe and things happening in your life for certain reasons. This particular internship that I had at vibe, they normally would not have paid, they don't pay, but for some reason they changed the policy and they paid me. Uh, and it was$500 a week. And my roommate in college was from Brooklyn, um, or excuse me, Queens at the time. And so he was like, Well, you can just stay with my family while you're in New York, and his mom didn't make me pay rent. So each week I was like getting this$500, and I thought I was rich because I was in New York and that money was just going towards me living. Having fun. And then the internship was uh between it was in the special events and editorial department. So like everything I was doing, I didn't have to pay for. It was always on the company, you know, I was going to parties. I was going to, you know, Tommy Hilfiger parties and things like that. And um just in being exposed to a lot by this internship, it literally changed my life. So I did that my sophomore year of college, and then I did it for two more summers, and then they offered me a full-time job after that in New York at Vibe magazine, which opened up my career.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, because we're really gonna share.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, Ryan doesn't want to share it. I will dabble in there. I will dabble here for sure.

SPEAKER_06:

That's like you're not feeding me that.

SPEAKER_04:

You're not feeding me. I don't know where I don't know where that's been. No, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

You've done it all then. Like, can you sing? Can you dance?

SPEAKER_05:

Like, oh wow. Um, you know. You know, so I did I I can dance a little. I can, yes, and I can actually sing. I am I can sing. I did in college one at one point. I joined, they had this really cool uh choir that I joined. Um, because I do enjoy singing. I consider myself the RB singer who never sing you, even just make like you make everything so cool. I don't know why I just made this a cigarette, too. I made this little pretzel stick a cigarette in my hand. Um I I I always say that I'm like a RB star that got away. Um because I wanted I want I wanted to be an RB star. I wanted to be Usher, you know?

SPEAKER_06:

I don't want to, you know, Usher's my favorite.

SPEAKER_05:

I want to be Usher.

SPEAKER_06:

So you were a model and you were also an acting. Yeah. Yeah, so you kind of have that like musical, like entertainment, like entertainer.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

So you wanted some, you got a couple different things.

SPEAKER_03:

We've got to get you to sing us a little bit.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh gosh. Well, listen, I gotta have about five mocktails before that happens.

SPEAKER_06:

So you have that placebo effect buzz too?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, yes. Okay, okay, good. No, I can I can't sing. I just get like I just get nervous. I get nervous when people put me on the spot to sing. That was like my I feel like my voice cracks or something. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Does she need to sit on your lap?

SPEAKER_05:

I mean, listen.

SPEAKER_06:

In a second, yes.

SPEAKER_01:

So tequila, I'll do it.

SPEAKER_06:

I don't even know why that was even a thing. Like, why did I just say that?

SPEAKER_04:

I think you're you're you're had too many mocked.

SPEAKER_05:

Because you've had too many mock tosses.

SPEAKER_06:

See, that's what happens. Yes. It is placebo.

SPEAKER_05:

It is placebo. Yes, I agree. Right. Um, but the funny thing is, is that I what there was one person who actually changed my life. Speaking of celebrity RB star, uh, who actually changed, gave me the confidence to change my life to go into more in front-of-the-camera journalism. Because when I started working at Vibe full-time, it was still more special events and editorial and writing and that kind of thing, but I didn't, I wasn't in front of a camera at that moment. But I was like, I'm gonna figure this out. Right. The person who changed my life in that regard was Mariah Carey. Um Mimi. What? Mimi changed my life. The queen herself. The queen herself. Wow. So Vibe had a Vibe Music show uh called the Vibe Music Awards, and everyone in the office pretty much knew, or a lot of people I worked with in the office knew that I wanted to move more into being in front of the camera, but I just didn't know how per se. And so one day we had the Vibe Music Awards show, and the the red carpet host, reporter who was supposed to be doing all the interviews, did not was sick, got sick. Uh-huh. So they were like, Daryl, last minute, like, Daryl, you can do this. Like, jump, you know, jump in there. You you got this. And I was super nerved out because I knew there was gonna be big celebrities there. I didn't have that much experience in that regard doing red carpet stuff. Uh, did you get starstruck? Uh not anymore. I did, I mean, listen, I'd be lying. There are certain stars short uh that I am still starstruck over. Like Oprah? I was starstruck over Oprah until and then I met her, but she's one of my favorite people now. You interviewed her. I did, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

She probably just like calms you down for because you're in her presence.

SPEAKER_05:

So I'm gonna get back to Mariah Carey, but Oprah.

SPEAKER_06:

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_05:

You you got I gotta give Mimi her moment, Ryan. I mean, come on.

SPEAKER_06:

I mean, well we'll touch on that in the studio.

SPEAKER_05:

Which one?

SPEAKER_06:

Oprah.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay, yeah. Oprah, my two favorite interviews were Oprah and Leo DiCaprio. But so save those. Those are good nuggets. Except, okay, so with Mariah, I ended up having to, I interviewed her on the carpet when the reporter was not there. And we talked, we were, I was, I was super nervous. I think, I think my voice cracked a couple times, probably. She was very sweet and did not acknowledge that. Um, and then but I had good questions for her. And she's I remember at the end of the interview, she said, What's your name again? And I was like, Daryl. She's like, Daryl. She's like, um, she's like, you know, thanks for interviewing me. I was like, oh, thank you, Mariah. You know, this is my first interview. You know, I really, you know, I'm nervous. I appreciate that you, you know, were so nice to me and answered my questions. And she's like, Boo, you're a natural. This is the career for you. She was like, what do you want to do? And I was like, I want to be a reporter. She's like, you, you're, you're a star. She's like, you're you're a natural. You you should pursue this. And it was like almost like the gods had arisen around me. I felt, I think I felt like sunlight, birds chirping around me. I was like, wow, Mimi saw it co-signed for me. And it, I don't, I know it sounds crazy, but it gave me the confidence to pursue it.

SPEAKER_07:

Because I was like, if Mariah can on my way.

SPEAKER_05:

And the funny thing is, Mimi, the gods, the gods aligned. I think I I think I saw birds and I think I saw angels around me when she said that. And it really did give me the confidence to pursue this career. So after that, shortly after that, I moved, I had an opportunity uh to move to New York for another job, and then that's when I really dived in. And I started taking classes uh with Marky Costello. She's very famous, very famous hosting coach and agent. In fact, Jason Kennedy, who's who was on e News forever, she was his manager and also discovered it. Oh my god. She, you know, she even helped Brian Secrets. Like, she's a god in the hosting world. And I started taking her class, and and I just remember her saying, Hey, you know, you you got it. You know, you you have a gift, it's just a matter on how you train, you know. Um, and that also gave me the confidence too, because again, I didn't come from traditional journalism. I wasn't a journalism major, I didn't study English. So, you know, I just was me.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Um, and at that time, I looked at people like Ryan C. Crest, Kevin Frazier from Entertainment Tonight, who are gods in this industry. And I could it kind of gave me that that that outline of where I wanted to be. And I just went in and dived in hard. Um, and then I was taking Marky's class, and how I what really also changed my life is I was taking Marky's class, and Maria Menunos, uh, who was on e News formerly, um, and at that time I think she was on Access Hollywood, she had a network called After Buzz TV, and it was like an after-show recap digital show, which was really popular. And she would like literally, she would bring in hosts to just recap different shows and give their opinions. And I ended up getting an opportunity to audition for her and her husband, Kevin Undergaro, and they brought me on uh as one of the hosts, and that was like that's when it really like the transition happened in my career. Um, because the exposure that I got from that, the the the the it was like learning accelerated, you know, because it was like I was in the field, I was doing it. Um, and that really helped me. And then um Maria and Kevin uh we we co-produced a we partnered up and co-produced a brother company to their Afterbus TV network called Black Hollywood Live, which I was the executive producer for that and I was hosting. And so I was doing all the red, started to do all the red carpets for the award shows. That's where I first interviewed Oprah.

SPEAKER_06:

Um when somebody says executive producer, for the people that don't maybe understand it, like you basically are behind the scenes helping like create this production.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, so it's funny when people ask me now, you know, they're like, what does a producer do? Like, see that on TV? Can you break it down? Yeah, it's kind of hard to break it down because uh a producer does everything if you're looking at the interviews or doing the interviews, you're writing scripts, you're you are soliciting interviews, you are uh prepping you know, guests or interviewees, you are uh yeah, just I mean, literally everything. Everything happens, every making everything happen. You're working with the deep the camera operators to make sure the shots correct. Yes. You know, they're you're writing what the the daily agenda is or the interview agenda is. I mean, it's it's so much work that goes into it. That's why literally when someone asks me that, I just say everything.

SPEAKER_06:

Uh-huh. Oh, for sure. Now, for this situation, are you putting your interviewee talent hat on? Are you kind of like thinking in both like producer and talent slash interviewee? You mean for this interview? Yeah, like do you feel like you're thinking about the producing, like and the what's happening behind the scenes and like trying to help? Are you just like enjoying the moment and just like, I'm just gonna let them kind of take the lead?

SPEAKER_05:

Um, that's a good that's a good question. Uh, I think once you're is that confusing?

SPEAKER_06:

Does that you understand what I'm trying to do I don't I wonder if, yeah, I kind of understand what you're saying though.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, yeah. You're kind of trying to figure out where I'm at right now with the interview, as far as like, am I being producer journalist, or am I just being the guest? Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

That's because you're making this really easy.

SPEAKER_05:

I know.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I don't want a hard time though.

SPEAKER_05:

Listen, you wanted to give you some difficult time? Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. You have more cocktails, please. I know.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, and I think that's why we love like having you because like you are such a natural, and this is easy for you. Because you know, some people they need to get warmed up.

SPEAKER_05:

Uh, not me. Yeah, I'm uh I'm I'm fired up all the. And I had a cold brew. I mean, cold brew before the mocktail. So I got I gotta live with the cold brew. Yeah, that coffee was firing me up.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah. But I guess to explain that, like, will you explain that to Kelly? That what I was trying to ask you about, like being like in this moment, is it easy for you to let like be like submissive and say, okay, I'm gonna just show up?

SPEAKER_05:

Um, I will say yes, it's difficult because I'm so used to helping to either produce the narrative for a show or for myself. So it is sort of hard to for sometimes just for me to sit back and have you ask me questions because the funny thing is, even though it may not, you may not notice it today, I really don't like to talk about myself. Um, I I enjoy talking about other people. I can ask you questions about it. You like talking shit? I love I'm a shit talker, baby. Like, what's I'm the I'm with the best. I can talk a lot of shit, especially when that tequila's flowing in that bunch. Oh, let's get ready.

SPEAKER_06:

I'm ready. Do you have the tequila in the car? No. Oh shit. We need to buy a bottle at the bar. Oh, I have t I have Tito's and Kettle 1.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, well, you're that's so low grade for me. No, I'm kidding. No, I'm not at all. Those are great. I love Tito's. No, I love I love Tito's as well.

SPEAKER_06:

Love Tito's.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, okay. Well, that sounds good. But I think that, you know, you basically summed it up. Like you're it's not easy to do. It's not easy for that.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, it's not easy. I mean, I I think you and I had a conversation offline about this earlier. Is that at the beginning of my career, I used to try and control my narrative so much.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes.

SPEAKER_05:

Um, and that was robotic. I was I felt robotic. I felt I saw someone like a Kevin Frazier and I saw someone like a Ryan Seacrest, and I thought I had to do exactly what they did or try and do what they did to get to this stage. Right. As I've grown in this industry, I realized people don't want a carbon copy of someone else. They want who you are as a person. They want your personality. And I had to realize that, okay, maybe my personality is special. I never felt that because I felt like I had to be like everyone else, especially not going the traditional route of what a journalist or a TV host was. So once I realized that, I'm like, nah, I'm like, oh, you want Daryl? Oh, I'm gonna give you Daryl.

SPEAKER_03:

It would be tough. Like, have you ever been turned down and felt like it was because of your personality or like who you were?

SPEAKER_05:

Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Like, how do you this is not an easy industry?

SPEAKER_05:

It's not for it's not for the the lighthearted, you know. Oh, right. And like you've gotten rejected. Oh, plenty. I mean, I got rejected two weeks ago for a job, you know.

SPEAKER_06:

And you just like let it roll off your shoulder.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, at this point, you have to. Yeah, I used to take it a lot personal, or or what I would do is when I would do a show, I would um read the comments afterwards, which I say is the kiss of death.

SPEAKER_07:

Yeah, you don't do it. Because no, I don't.

SPEAKER_05:

I mean, I'll glance at it. Sometimes I just laugh because at the end of the day, what I've realized, I had a manager who told me this one time. I used to take it so personal if someone says something negative. And even if they said something positive, I was like, oh well, what is like I like that, but like what how do I re keep doing that, you know? And I had a manager who tell me one time, they're like, Daryl, if even if it's if they say something bad about you, they're still they're taking the time to talk about you. And that means that you're still relevant in their mind. Because if they don't give a shit about you, they're not gonna say nothing about you.

SPEAKER_06:

So I was like, Well, and I don't know what they could say shit about you unless you were like getting real messy, like, but that's not you on camera.

SPEAKER_05:

No, it wasn't even about messy, it was just like sometimes people people are just trolls are very funny. Sometimes people will be like, I hate the way his shirt his shirt is that shirt is or oh, he's too pretty. Or he or or or he, you know, uh I've even he talks too proper. This is me, either accepted or dumb. Yeah, yeah. It's part of my personality. So, and so she says she loves watching me now because I am my authentic self. Right. Where I felt like starting off again in this industry, I felt I had to be like someone else to make it. And now I don't feel that way. I feel like take me or leave me, because I'm gonna be me. You know, so that's that's that's what that means.

SPEAKER_06:

And you've fucking been hustling since this is a hustle.

SPEAKER_05:

Since 18. I've been hustling since 18.

SPEAKER_06:

And you're inspiring us. Cheers. You guys are inspiring me. Yeah. Oh my god. Well, you know what? This is why we dragged you all the way to the bird because we want to show you our studio setup. It's on the east side. I'm gonna show you a little bit of like the production studio that we've been working out of. We are, you know, wanting you to come on board, maybe be our producer in the future.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, oh, is this put me on the spot slice?

SPEAKER_06:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_05:

I don't know. Is this the was this the whole plan? Is this why you put me in this great hotel?

SPEAKER_04:

We know you can next year.

SPEAKER_06:

You know, the red carpet. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah. There's this is not just because we love you. We we have ulterior motives. Oh, so this is where all the compliments are gonna come. Okay, I got it. We're just laying it all out there like that charcuterie board.

SPEAKER_05:

I love this charcuterie board.

unknown:

That was a good line.

SPEAKER_05:

I'm gonna give you that. I'm gonna give you that. I'm gonna get flowers for that.

SPEAKER_06:

Cheers! Laying it all out, spreading it out on the charcuterie.

SPEAKER_05:

Spreading it out.

SPEAKER_06:

I love this spread. I know. I love this spread, especially the way Kelly spreads it.

SPEAKER_05:

I was waiting. I hate him. I was waiting for I was actually waiting for that to happen.

SPEAKER_06:

You know, we used to date back in the day. Now she's married to my best friend. Unfortunately. I know. I was pretty bad.

SPEAKER_07:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

She said that I was like really bad in bed. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_01:

Terrible is the worst time.

SPEAKER_06:

I was like, just like. Are you are you are you joking?

SPEAKER_05:

Are you serious?

SPEAKER_01:

Serious.

SPEAKER_05:

From her face, she seems serious.

SPEAKER_06:

You seem like you're joking, and she seems like I feel like I'm trying to joke about him because I'm embarrassed. But I was like, you know when you're like so embarrassed that you're like, I have to just joke about him.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, that's very true. Yeah. You're getting red. She she's still letting you be in her life.

SPEAKER_06:

I know, I know.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, I noticed the wedding ring, so I hope so.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, thank you for coming to Spirits and Tale. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Oaklander Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

SPEAKER_05:

I love the Oaklander. I I would I actually called my mom because mom is bougie with her hotel. Oh shit. And I made a joke. Can I tell the joke about the Radister? Okay, so. He was nervous. I was a little nervous. Okay, so I'm not, I mean, listen, I am I can roll with the punches with a lot of things, especially with friends. And and he asked me to come on the show and I was honored. Um and then he was like, Yeah, we'll we'll put you in a hotel. But I never really got the itinerary, so I didn't really know where I was staying. And so in my mom, and my mom's like, well, my mom is very much, especially now, she wants to be my manager, which I'm not gonna ever allow that. So with this, she started asking me, where are you staying? I'm like, I don't know. She's like, okay, well, you don't have any idea where the hotel is. I'm like, no, I actually have no idea. So in my mind, when Ryan wasn't sending me anything, I was like, oh, it's probably gonna be something like the Radisson Inn. I was like, I don't think he would put me in like Motel 6, but maybe like a Radisson Inn. I was like, but you don't want to go over there because he's my boy, you know, like I'm you know, we're friends, like it's cool. And and so I was pleasantly surprised when I get to this unbelievable hotel. Isn't it? And my room is sick. Oh my god. I felt like I was, you know, a royalty or something. It's like almost penthouse like.

SPEAKER_06:

I know.

SPEAKER_05:

And so I was very impressed.

SPEAKER_06:

It's fitting for you.

SPEAKER_05:

You are I'm a little boosh. I'm a little boosh.

SPEAKER_03:

Was she worried about you?

SPEAKER_05:

She she was worried, she was worried in the sense of like, where are you staying? And why don't you have any information? And if this is your friend, how come you don't have like a full itinerary? I'm like, Mom, I got this. I've been I've been around the block. Like, I he's not gonna, you know, I'm not gonna be a Moto6, man.

SPEAKER_06:

And you wouldn't even go take that. You'd be like, your bougie ass would be like, okay, thanks for getting it anyway, but you're gonna need to get a refund because I'm going somewhere else.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, see the see that see the Uber that's driving to the Moto6. Just keep going. Where's the next bougie hotel? I'll be out there. I'll pay for it myself.

SPEAKER_06:

Where's the next Radisson?

SPEAKER_05:

Where's the next Radison at? I'll pay for it myself.

SPEAKER_06:

Well, let's go check out your room. Speaking of that, yes, for sure. Let's do it.

Head Shot

Kelly Mizgorski

Co-host
Head Shot

Ryan Frankowski

Co-host