Raising the bar, one conversation at a time......together
www.youtube.com/@Raising_the_Bar_Network
www.instagram.com/rtb.podcast/
Raising The Bar is a podcast where we have conversations most people won’t have out loud.
Two hosts. Two generations. Both fathers. Ra (44) and Travay (29) sit down with trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and everyday people quietly raising the standard in their communities. We talk manhood, leadership, discipline, fatherhood, and the stories behind people who refuse to stay average.
We don’t chase one topic. We follow the guest — because the conversation worth hearing is usually the one nobody else is having.
New episodes every monthly. Watch the full conversations on YouTube, Spotify or you favorite podcast app of choice.
When Jesse traded 28 years of bartending for the keys to his own restaurant, he thought he knew what he was signing up for. He didn't.
"It's like being in jail with the door open," he says. "You could leave anytime you want, but you can't."
After nearly three decades behind the bar, Jesse and his wife Maria took the leap and opened La Peña in Temecula. No investors. No backup plan. Just two people who'd done everything in the restaurant business except own one. This is their story of what happens when you stop working for someone else's dream and start building your own.
From East LA to Texas to California, Jesse's been grinding in the service industry since day one. He met Maria 25 years ago when she was a server and he was slinging drinks. He promised he'd come back for her. And he did. Now they're married with four kids, running a restaurant together, and learning that ownership is a completely different beast.
In this episode, we talk about:
• Why Jesse finally left bartending after 28 years to open La Peña
• The 10 month nightmare of permits, licensing, and duct detectors just to get open
• How Maria's cult following from her old restaurant became their secret weapon
• Meeting Maria in Texas, the promise he kept, and building a life together
• Why he's not scared of competition and wants more restaurants around him
• The difference between being a great bartender and being an owner
• Hiring employees who actually want to work (and dealing with the ones who don't)
• How his daughter Blanca went from server to manager overnight
• The Luchador drink, wrestling masks, and future midget wrestling events
• Building community with other restaurant owners instead of competing
• Why the customer experience is everything and robots don't belong in restaurants
• Sports, Sundays, and why La Peña is about to become the spot in Temecula
This is a conversation about sacrifice, family, resilience, and what it really takes to go from employee to owner. Jesse reminds us that you don't know unless you do it. Sometimes you just have to bet on yourself.
🎙️ Raising The Bar Network
Full episodes also available on Spotify
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @rtb.podcast
📍 La Peña Temecula: @lapenatemecula
#LaPeña #RestaurantOwner #Bartender #Temecula #SmallBusiness #FamilyBusiness #Entrepreneurship #ServiceIndustry #MexicanRestaurant #RaisingTheBar #Hustle #OwnerLife #FromEmployeeToOwner
1 Sept 2026
Vulnerability is POWER | Chef Rosie
When her position at U.S. Foods was dissolved, Chef Rosie called Mr. Tapley and asked one question: "Can we talk?"
What happened next was the deal of a lifetime — negotiated entirely on a cocktail napkin. He wrote an offer. She countered. They went back and forth until he said the words that changed everything: "I'll take your offer. But this restaurant is yours as of tomorrow."
No contract. No lawyers. Just a handshake, a promissory note, and a loan he carried himself. She paid him back in three years — and 10 years later, he'd still do it all over again.
But the real story isn't just the napkin deal. It's what came after. The kitchen staff walking out on opening night. The stroke that revealed cancer. The husband who stayed when she thought no one would. The prayer in El Salvador that whispered back: "You know what to do. You lack discipline."
Chef Rosie doesn't just cook food. She transforms lives. From a single mother in the Tenderloin to a community leader flying planes and mentoring the next generation, her story is proof that vulnerability is power. That making your bed matters. That in suffering, you find grace.
In this episode, we talk about:
• The napkin negotiation that made her a restaurant owner overnight
• Surviving COVID, closing Provecho, and opening Lady R
• How a stroke saved her life by revealing cancer
• Meeting Chris — the answer to a prayer she didn't know would come true
• Why discipline is the secret ingredient to dreaming bigger
• The Letter to My Nieces and breaking generational trauma
• Why you should make your bed every single day
• Chapulines, mezcal, and 17 grams of protein in one ounce
• Learning to fly planes, trust God, and live with purpose
This is a conversation about faith, resilience, mentorship, and the power of showing up even when you're exhausted. Chef Rosie reminds us that you don't live once — you die once. You have to live every day.
🎙️ Raising The Bar Network
Full episodes also available on Spotify
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @rtb.podcast
#ChefRosie #LadyR #VulnerabilityIsPower #Resilience #Discipline #FaithAndPurpose #WomenInBusiness #RestaurantOwner #MakeYourBed #Mentorship #BreakingTrauma #Provecho #RaisingTheBar
31 Jul 2026
Ep. 43 | The Story Behind Chayse Life | A Brother's Legacy
Cory, the owner of Chayse Life, shares the personal story behind his wellness and recovery center—and how losing his younger brother in a car crash changed the direction of his life.In (http://life.In) this conversation, Cory explains how cold plunge therapy, sauna sessions, physical training, and community helped him work through grief, rebuild his health, and become more present for his family. He also discusses his life as a firefighter, resilience, fatherhood, and why Chayse Life is designed to be more than a day spa or recovery facility.We discuss:• The story behind the name Chayse Life
• Cold plunge and sauna recovery routines
• Building discipline through discomfort
• Grief, purpose, fatherhood, and leading by example
• How shared struggle creates community
• Supporting first responders, veterans, athletes, and families
• The future of Chayse Life and The Chase Effect podcast.
This episode is a conversation about wellness, recovery, resilience, and continuing to chase life after loss.
Note: This discussion is for general information and personal perspective—not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before using sauna or cold-plunge therapy, especially if you have a medical condition.
https://www.chayselife.com/ (https://www.chayselife.com/)
#coldplunge #InfraredSauna #Wellness #Recovery #Resilience
Who has been a guest on Raising The Bar Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Avi Loeb
Charlie Kirk
Chef Rosie
Mark Hatten
Dr Andre Watson
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
49
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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