Executive Chef • Marketing VP • Culinary Authority
OWN THE FIRE™ MEDIA KIT
Where Fire Meets Steel and Legends Are Made
1.7M+
Total Views
5 for 5
#1 Posts
Top 1%
In 14 Days
"We take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary"
New Release
New York's Business Podcast
Started as a Dishwasher, Built a Culinary Empire
Key Topics
- The Journey: Executive Chef to Marketing VP
- 20+ Years in NYC's Top Restaurants
- Building While Leading a $230M Division
- Argentine Asado & Brazilian Churrasco
- Fire & Steel Academy Strategy
- The Corporate Executive Who Didn't Quit
"I'm the corporate executive who didn't quit. While everyone else has the romantic story of leaving everything behind, I built OWN THE FIRE™ while running a $230 million division. That's the real entrepreneurial story."
Download Complete Media Kit
Professional biography, high-resolution images, interview questions, and brand portfolio
Download Media Kit
Everything you need for coverage, interviews, and collaborations
• MEDIA READY ANGLES •
QUICK FACTS
Stories That Matter • Hooks That Land
DUAL EXPERTISE
20+ years Executive Chef + 25 years Marketing VP
UNIQUE ACCESS
Exclusive Brazilian knife craftsmen & custom equipment builders
REDDIT DOMINATION
5 for 5 #1 posts • 1M+ views • Top 1% in 14 days
VIRAL REACH
120K+ monthly views with 96% new audience
PREMIUM BRANDS
Fire & Steel Academy, Artisanknives.com, Gothamcityleather.com
NYC STORY
20 years high-end kitchens to 25 years corporate strategy to BBQ academy founder
NO BS APPROACH
Zero celebrity endorsements, 100% earned expertise
THE BOTTOM LINE
"We take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary"
Meet Mike Riddle
Executive Chef turned Marketing Executive building the future of culinary education through proven business strategy.
Mike Riddle brings a unique combination rarely seen in the culinary industry: professional kitchen training from NYC's high-end restaurants paired with executive-level marketing expertise from Fortune 500 brands.
- Corporate Excellence: VP of Promotional Marketing for 25 years, driving multi-million dollar programs
- Culinary Authority: Executive Chef with 20+ years in high-end NYC restaurants, bringing professional fire techniques to culinary education
- Proven Growth: Built OWN THE FIRE™ to 120K+ monthly views using proven marketing strategies
- Community Validation: 5 out of 5 posts hit #1 across multiple subreddits (r/BBQ, r/cooking, r/foodporn, r/steak). Over 1M+ total views. Top 1% Reddit creator in just 14 days.
- Premium Positioning: Launched Fire & Steel Academy and multiple revenue streams including custom Santa Maria grills and Brazilian artisan knives
This isn't a side hustle or retirement project. Mike applies the same strategic thinking that drives corporate success to culinary education—treating content as campaigns, followers as customer segments, and education as product development.
Fire & Steel Academy represents the intersection of professional expertise and authentic passion, built on frameworks that transform corporate initiatives into measurable results—now applied to transforming home cooks into culinary masters.
"We take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary"
The Business Evolution
From Content to Commerce: A Strategic Build
What started as sharing culinary techniques has evolved into a complete educational ecosystem.
Each component was strategically built to serve a specific purpose, creating multiple touchpoints
that convert casual viewers into committed students and customers.
Phase 1: Content Foundation
Building trust through value
THE VAULT
Recipe repository driving social media traffic and capturing leads
SMOKE SIGNAL
Monthly newsletter establishing authority and nurturing audience
FIRE & STEEL CHRONICLES
40-volume blog series sharing the journey from chef to entrepreneur
Phase 2: Revenue Streams
Converting authority into business
FIRE & STEEL ACADEMY
Three-tier membership platform ($10/$25/$50 monthly) teaching foundation to elite techniques with direct chef access
CUSTOM BUILDS
Santa Maria grills with brasero systems, reverse flow smokers - premium equipment designed and tested by Mike Riddle
OWN THE FIRE™ MOVEMENT
Trademarked brand with merchandise, gear drops, and community that transforms customers into tribe members
ARTISAN KNIVES
Premium Brazilian blades - exclusive partnerships with master craftsmen, establishing tool authority and international sourcing credibility
GOTHAM CITY LEATHER
Professional knife sheaths and leather accessories - premium brand complementing equipment line with standalone market presence
ASADO TOOLS
Authentic Argentine grilling equipment and accessories - specialized niche with dedicated customer base and unique sourcing
Phase 3: The Media Hook
Built for television, proven on social
ON-CAMERA PROVEN
120K+ monthly views with 96% new audience reach - the numbers networks want
UNIQUE ANGLE
Only culinary personality with 20+ years Executive Chef + 25 years Marketing VP credentials
BUILT-IN SEGMENTS
Fire challenges, knife skills, business tips - multiple show formats ready
OWN THE FIRE™
Catchphrase, movement, and merchandise - complete TV package
NYC BASE
Media capital location - available for morning shows, demos, appearances
DEMO READY
Full equipment arsenal for live cooking segments anywhere
GREAT INTERVIEW TOPICS
Stories That Forge Legends • Content That Converts • Audiences That Listen
The Journey
- From restaurant cook at 16 to Executive Chef (20+ years in professional kitchens) to Marketing VP (25 years) and founder of NY Fire & Steel Academy
- Executive chef experience forged into BBQ education methodology
- How a failed restaurant purchase led to marketing career success
- The dishwasher-to-forge master journey: From pizza shop to premium academy
- Three-career journey: kitchen leadership to corporate strategy to academy founder
Business & Marketing
- Marketing professional who built NY Fire & Steel Academy using proven strategies
- Reddit domination: 5 for 5 posts hit #1, 1M+ views, Top 1% in 14 days
- Content strategy: 120K+ monthly views in competitive space
- Building authentic brands after mastering authentic cooking
- Premium positioning: Why $50/month works when others charge $35/year
- Building premium education without celebrity partnerships or viral gimmicks
BBQ & Equipment
- Custom equipment builds and forge-tested process
- Brazilian tool sourcing and exclusive access
- Teaching through NY Fire & Steel Academy's three-tier structure
- Personal testing philosophy: forged not given
- International methods: Brazilian churrasco and Argentine asado expertise
Mindset & Philosophy
- The forge mindset: "Excellence isn't given, it's forged"
- No celebrity endorsements, no shortcuts: Building authentic academies in an Instagram world
- Transforming ordinary cooks into forge masters
- Personal testing philosophy: "If it doesn't earn a spot in my forge, it won't make it into yours"
I didn't get lucky. I forged my skills the hard way through years of burns, lessons hammered into legacy, and obsession with transforming the ordinary into extraordinary.
MEDIA INQUIRIES & BOOKINGS
Ready to Bring Fire & Steel to Your Show
Available for interviews, demonstrations, and speaking engagements. Whether you need an executive chef who can break down technique, a marketing expert who understands brand building, or an OWN THE FIRE™ founder who brings authentic craftsmanship to your content - let's forge something powerful together.
Podcast Interviews
Deep conversations about the journey from dishwasher to executive chef to Fire & Steel Academy founder
Live Fire Demonstrations
Professional technique meets backyard accessibility with custom steel showcases and Fire & Steel methods
Steel & Equipment Showcases
Custom builds, Brazilian blades, and fire-forged tools that most pitmasters will never see
Fire & Steel Workshops
From foundation skills to elite-level mastery with real-world Fire & Steel Academy techniques
Business Journey Presentations
Building the OWN THE FIRE™ brand without shortcuts or celebrity endorsements
Marketing Strategy Sessions
25+ years of corporate experience applied to premium education entrepreneurship
Partnership Opportunities
Looking to feature authentic gear reviews and testing? We have direct relationships with premium manufacturers and curate only battle-tested equipment through real fire sessions. Perfect for product showcases, gear comparisons, and honest reviews that your audience will trust.
Let's Forge Something Great
Mike Riddle
Founder, OWN THE FIRE™
Executive Chef | Fire Mastery | Professional Culinary Mastery
Executive Chef | Fire Mastery | Professional Culinary Mastery
📱 917-387-6156
📍 New York, NY
Crafted in Smoke. Forged in Fire.
Follow The Fire
OWN THE FIRE™