Executive Chef • Marketing VP • BBQ Entrepreneur
NY BBQ GUYS MEDIA KIT
Where Fire Meets Steel and Legends Are Made
120K+
Monthly Views
#1 on r/BBQ
Back-to-Back • First Two Posts
Almost 1M
Combined Views
"We take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary"
OWN THE FIRE™
A Movement by NY BBQ Guys
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
Executive Chef credentials + Current Marketing VP
UNIQUE ACCESS
Exclusive Brazilian knife craftsmen & custom equipment builders
VIRAL REACH
120K+ monthly views with 96% new audience
PREMIUM BRANDS
Fire & Steel Academy, Artisanknives.com, Gothamcityleather.com
NYC STORY
From NYC kitchens to corporate boardrooms to BBQ mastery
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 BBQ education through proven business strategy.
Mike Riddle brings a unique combination rarely seen in the BBQ industry: professional culinary training from NYC's high-end restaurants paired with executive-level marketing expertise from Fortune 500 brands.
- Corporate Excellence: Current VP of Promotional Marketing driving multi-million dollar programs
- Culinary Authority: Former Executive Chef bringing restaurant-grade techniques to BBQ
- Proven Growth: Built NY BBQ Guys to 120K+ monthly views using strategic marketing principles
- Community Validation: First two Reddit posts ever both hit #1 on r/BBQ, nearly 1M views combined
- Premium Positioning: Launched three distinct brands targeting different market segments
This isn't a side hustle or retirement project. Mike applies the same strategic thinking that drives corporate success to BBQ 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 pitmasters.
"We take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary"
The Business Evolution
From Content to Commerce: A Strategic Build
What started as sharing BBQ 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 teaching from foundation to elite techniques
ARTISAN KNIVES
Premium Brazilian blades establishing tool authority
GOTHAM CITY LEATHER
Professional accessories complementing the knife line
ASADO TOOLS
Authentic Argentine grilling equipment and accessories
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 BBQ personality with Executive Chef + 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 to marketing VP 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
- 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 a Fire & Steel Academy 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 Fire & Steel Academy 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
Direct Email
Fire & Steel Academy
Social Media
@nybbqguys (all platforms)
Response Time
Within 24 hours