DISCLAIMER:
The following output was transcribed from our audio recording.
Although the transcription is largely accurate, it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.
It is posted to aid in understanding the interview but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
Mindy Cohn 00:00
Hi everyone, Cristian and I of course welcome you back to another episode of Mondays with Mindy everybody welcome back today's episode features a conversation with my multi talented mogul have a friend who is not only built New York's most successful catering and events company but who also is an author co owner of the restaurant should Dink shindig excuse me and Woodstock way Hotel in the Catskills, a wife, an amazing mother and Rachael rays go to regular guest and all around Food Network favorite. She's also one of my most generous and trusted friends. Of course, I'm talking about my darling Mary Giuliani, no relation to Rudy, not even close. A native New Yorker Mary graduated Georgetown University with a degree in English and theater and spent a year in Florence, Italy, studying Italian food, wine culture, and maybe a couple men I don't know Mary started Mary Giuliani, catering and events in 2005 catering to the stars. She based the company on entertaining food and hospitality with a sense of play and whimsy, like no other ideas personal to the client, and whether it's for a family's private event, an HBO launch party or a corporate event for Tommy Hilfiger. Mary is a firm believer that party should always make you laugh, and one party should never be the same as any other. Mary's appeared on the Barefoot Contessa the Choose the today show Good Morning America, and obviously is a regularly featured guest on the Rachael Ray show, as well as much beloved Food Network contributor Mary's currently working on her third book. Yeah successful much. Her first collection of short stories the cocktail party, eat, drink, play, recover, dropped in 2015 and included menus, recipes and all kinds of entertaining tips and in 2019, tiny hotdogs and Other Stories debuted to my pleasure. And once again and also to my mother's my mother cannot put this book down. Once again, Mary delighted us with inspired stories from her childhood to her professional life and journey and struggle to becoming the amazing mother that she is to Gala. She lives in West Chelsea and Woodstock with her husband Ryan Jada, gala and rabbit Mr. spotty Rogers, Christian. Hold on, hold on, Sis, because we have Mary in the house.
Christian Brescia 02:17
Ladies and gentlemen, it is our pleasure to welcome to the show the very spectacular the ultimate entertainer, Mary Giuliani today before you say a thing, my goal is to co star with Mary on something on television because Mary also just needs to be in front of the camera as an actress. Period full stop. Hi, Mayor. Oh, okay.
Mary Giuliani 02:41
Well, I don't even know where in my life I got this lucky for this moment, and I'm too Sicilian to like I'm crying. Crying and hearing that it's like I it's like I died and like so many great things. I did you know?
Mindy Cohn 02:57
You're only halfway there, girlfriend. You're only halfway through
03:00
I love you so much. Thank you to Christmas. You and Mindy. Um, if I can gush for a second because that was so beautiful. No, you can't.
Mindy Cohn 03:09
Just like what No, just a tiny guy Oh my god. Because all Yes, don't make me cry
03:14
about our friendship because everyone's like happy and we were connected through things and mqr to me. So like, in my high school, there was a thing called a ledge and it was like all where all the cool high school seniors hung out. Okay. And I was like this very geeky freshman. I look like gruff macho. I had one eyebrow. It was not a good time for me was not a good time for me. And you feel like in my head are like the cool senior girlfriends with all the new york city kids on the ledge, like the Jill's, and the Mickey's and the Marjorie's and like people that have been in my periphery because I'm a caterer and I've seen them at parties and just think they're so cool. And like you in my head are hanging out on the ledge with them and I miss geeky freshmen, and you like took the time to stop and like see me and talk to me. And oh,
Mindy Cohn 04:01
I not only see you kiddo, I You are in my heart. Okay, I'm taking over
04:06
but that's the beauty of you do that for everybody. And now I will shut up I love you
Mindy Cohn 04:10
for who you know you like don't do that. Okay, first of all, I'd like to correct you. Okay, and I feel extra special. I don't do that with everyone. But that is one of the misconceptions about me that actually Christian knows what may appear that I am a collector of people I actually am not very selective group. I love that you're a witness to him who has known me forever tells you that because this face has this wonderful gift of people thinking that they know her and know her. But Mary, you know me, and I love you and you're you're one of my dearest dearest friends, truly for the rest of our lives. And now I'm getting on with our show. Okay, I will start which would usually start yes drink tequila. So I pull a Christian and I made up jarv questions, we pull five at random. And this is how we kind of start the conversation. So here we go get to know you for the audience. Yeah, exactly. Martha. Good to know. Yeah. Good way to put it. Thanks, Christian. Okay, so the first one, okay, which I think is hilarious that I pulled for you. And of course, I pulled it for you. This is like so serendipitous in my life. Yeah,
05:21
right. You know the ones you
Mindy Cohn 05:22
can tell the length of the of the thing. Can you cook and what is your favorite dish to make? And if you don't cook, what is your favorite dish to consume? I mean,
05:33
oh, that's hysterical. Okay.
Mindy Cohn 05:35
But you know what, what is your favorite? I don't know that.
05:38
For me to cook. It's very simple Italian because I grew up with my grandparents teaching me things like meatballs and sauce. And like, that's just simple. It's comfort. It's love. It's like air. But my favorite meal to eat is anything anyone else makes.
Mindy Cohn 05:51
Only imagine
05:55
waiters, waiter to the stars. And there's such an expectation that I actually lowered the bar. So if you come to my house, I'm like, we're having pigs in a blanket of martinis. And that's it. And I can get away with that now, because I'm like, Well, first of all, you
Mindy Cohn 06:11
know, you and the real you Not that I do for a living isn't the real you but you've earned that reputation. That's not just a pithy little thing to say about you. And the event company, you've actually earned it and whether it's hard for you to take well, girl, your client list begs to differ. I'm just putting it out. For you who don't know Mary, but will soon know Mary. Oh, I actually think I might know this one. What's your favorite place in the world? And why? Okay, where we were supposed to be pre planned, like, three weeks ago? Yeah,
06:45
I have many. But the one that just immediately came to my head is dedicated Spain is a little town where Salvador Dali had his summer home. And my daughter's name is gala for gala Dolly. Based on a trip, I went to Barcelona, I had had a very bad miscarriage. And I was done. And then I gave up on the world. And I my husband said, What do you want to do? I'm going to take you to someplace to be happy. And I said, Let's go to Spain. I'd never been to Spain. And we went to Barcelona. And when we got there, I was still sad. There was not enough patatas bravas. Let's just drive and he's like, Okay, um, he's like, Where's my poor husband at this point. And we just drove and we ended up in this beautiful water. I said, I want to see water. And we ended up in Catalonia, Spain, and I had a complete and total nervous breakdown. And I took a walk in the morning to a hike and I see this beautiful house with an egg on top of it. And I say what is this and there were six people waiting outside and they said, this is Salvador Dali's house, people wait years to go inside and sorry, you know, come back next year. And I was like, why? And like, I walk away. And this woman's like, we just had a cancellation. Can you be back in an hour? And I was like, Yes, I can. And we went into this house on Thanksgiving Day. And I learned all about their life and crazy do their work. And most importantly, that life is not perfect. And if I was they were perfectly imperfect, and that's exactly how I was feeling at that time. And I said they are crazy, wild people. And right we are going to be crazy wild people and someday I'm going to get that baby and her name will be Gala. And now I have a little Gala. So that's why Catalonia Spain, and it's also beautiful and the people are beautiful. So if I could close my eyes and go anywhere, it's to that perfectly imperfect town of Catalonia, Spain. Wow. How's that for? I try to keep the little shorter. I'm a little i'm not i'm not related to.
Mindy Cohn 08:33
Like you told a good story. Just a few minutes. I'm coming I can't believe like I misspoke the princess's name. I apologize profusely.
08:42
Oh, what gal Oh, no. Are you kidding? My mother calls or
Mindy Cohn 08:44
gala? There's Gala. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Anyway, oops. She'll never forgive me when she gets older and watches this. Oh my god. Anyway, don't worry. What I turned out to be you won't figure was Ford. I know. I have a running list to chill understand. I'm okay. This might be a challenge for you, Mayor. Who's your favorite relative? And why?
09:11
Oh, gosh. Okay. Papa Charlie, because he taught me how to curse gamble. And, and grandma's CEO because she was my crazy Maverick business. I think our movie Mindy and I film Sunday will be about her life. I wrote an essay I booked hotdogs called free HBO. Yes.
Mindy Cohn 09:34
Her life will be a film and I will have a part in it.
09:37
Thanks for playing. I already know you're in markievicz I have a whole thing. Don't worry. We're not Lucille but you have to learn how to play the piano and sing. You could do that. Okay. Yeah, fine. Um, she was a piano teacher grandmother from Queens saved her money in coffee cans that she would hide in her dirt basement in Queens. She lived near the airport, the planes would take off everything would come out of the cabinet, saw an ad for land in Montauk news. And in 1938, with her mother took a six hour bus ride to Montauk with $75. I think it was bought an acre of land by 19. monta Montauk. You know that the fancy Montauk now it wasn't so fancy back then. But vision for what it is now, which is so wild. And at the height of her Lucy illness, she had four very successful hotels, one being the wavecrest Hotel that I grew up in. And every single star and and playwright and Broadway based actor visited and was around her dinner table. Yeah, yeah. And he would curate these. Like fishermen and Andy Warhol. I think that's rumor. He's been there. He was there, just those great parties. She was a wonderful Maverick business entrepreneur, and I grew up idolizing her, but also fearing her because it was cautionary tale. She was very successful, but then she didn't have she lost her family. And it's that balance of what you can and cannot have. And so it's Lucille and Papa Charlie.
Mindy Cohn 10:59
I love that. I love that more. So you can obviously like start to see like the amazing storyteller that Mary is. Yeah, and the stories you've got. I mean, you have many more books in you. Yes. Oh, wow.
11:14
ventures.
Mindy Cohn 11:15
Okay, um, okay. This is also Oh, my gosh, such a fantastic married question, because music is very, very precious to both of us. Yeah. Are you ready for this? Mary? Does your life have a theme song? And if so, what is it? Oh, that's
11:29
good.
Mindy Cohn 11:31
Oh, so Mary, and I also connect on the fact that we just randomly have dance parties in our kitchen.
11:36
Oh, my God, if you're not cooked dancing while you're cooking, and don't stop same? Yeah. So I always dreamt like every time I walked into a room, that music who My heart is
11:52
solid,
11:53
but it would probably have to be super obvious because I'm obsessed with the monkeys. Yes, you should know about me. Mindy knows. Christian. I am sickly obsessed, like in a weird way. There should be restraining orders in place. A monkey when I was 19 Peter Tork was 50 I think. And I got backstage at a concert. And I wanted to make out with Mickey dolenz. But I ended up kissing Peter Tork. So I think it would have to be married married by the month.
Mindy Cohn 12:21
Oh, yes. I mean, I should have even had that of course. Of course.
12:25
A great answer.
Mindy Cohn 12:27
And you're black. I also think this is so nuts that I know the answers to these questions in regard to you, which I rarely do. Who's your celebrity crush? Like meaning past like if Ryan Ryan guy in the picture, but I know you've had conversations like who would he allow you to shut up? top three. I know. JOHN Goodman have it. Yeah, okay. I know. He'll surprise you Christian, but I know this because we talk openly about Aikido, which we can find we can find him in dantana as you know,
13:00
I know I have. That's where you and I went
13:04
okay. Yeah, I'm 30 woodlands. Yeah. Nikki Dolan. So we, john Goodman, Mickey dolenz and fat Baldwin. Not Hilaria Baldwin. I liked Alec Baldwin. When he was on 30 rock.
Mindy Cohn 13:21
Yeah, we're blown out.
13:22
And he was a little like, I like fat Baldwin. I don't like hot Married to the Mob Baldwin. I like fat Baldwin.
Mindy Cohn 13:31
Okay, I know. Right? Well, we love very attracted to the heavy set. sturdy disposition
13:44
a little. He's a little skinny little man.
Mindy Cohn 13:47
He's also got less than he's cray cray. I mean, I think like, I don't know if I you know, want you with that kind of grace. Just one night? Um, yeah. So I want to ask you, it's, it's hard to it's like, it's not even gonna be a night. Let's really be clear. Um, May. It's hard because I don't know whether to ask you this as because I think you're just as creative in your food and party is such a weird event, party bash, creativity, and your writing, which I think you are truly an incredible writer. Thank you. And I say that because my mother and I who are voracious readers, my mother and I both were so emotional over these stories of yours in tiny hot dogs. I thought about them for days, they stayed with me That to me is a brilliant writer. When your words when you just randomly go oh my god, that story was so and you go off and you think about it again, Christian, have a copy for you. It's incredible. So I'm just going to answer these questions and then you answer them. I want to answer them but creative process wise however you do. Find it for yourself, where do you get inspired? Where does it start? Is it a discipline? Is it an emotion, it,
15:06
it's an emotion, for sure. And thank you for complimenting my writing, because that truly is all I ever want to be and want to continue to be. And I love, I love that you could sit down at a computer and you can travel without going anywhere. And that sort of was something I learned very young from my papa Charlie I was talking about earlier, he didn't have a lot of money, he never left basically the 10 mile radius from which he was born. I worked live for night. And he would babysit for my sister and I every Friday and Saturday night. And we would travel without going anywhere we would get dressed up, we would watch The Love Boat and say put the Majorca and wear hat. And I on so that ability of like you could, in the best kind of use of the word manipulate your reality, to be whatever it is, that's where my creative process is. So for planning parties for people, it's not really about I'm not a foodie, it's not about the food part of it, I love food, but it's transforming someone's moment. And you can do that with an event. You can do that when you see a play you do that when you write a story. So I think it's about taking you someplace without going very far without a right answer to it. But it is definitely like, I don't have a desk in my office. I've run a company for 15 years. And much to the chagrin of my business partner, I not much. But I get like, I'll walk the city or my beloved New York City, which will come back and it is back and
Mindy Cohn 16:32
Yeah, same same.
16:34
But I will just walk all day and then say, Oh, that's what we're going to do. Now we're going to start serving things in an ad just I'll be inspired by my surroundings. I'll be inspired by an album cover. I'll be inspired by lots of things. But it is the emotion it'll hit me. And then I'll say I have to do something about it. And I'm also delusionally optimistic I think, you know, Monday at my, my, my favorite person in the world is Steve Martin's character neven Johnson and the jerk. And everything was possible there
Mindy Cohn 17:05
was a Christian, are you getting a theme? That no friends and I all share this? Yes. It's so interesting. A lot of the comments I get married since doing the podcast Are you know, such a collective group of people, but they're all so inspired enough. And I sent it that that is that is what I'm attracted to. Because that's how I feel I am terminally optimistic. And I don't do well with people who aren't? No, it doesn't mean we don't have low points. But please, are able to go that as high and as optimistic as we do. Of course, the opposite of that is a very dark time. But
17:44
anyway, please continue. Oh, but I think if you could, you know the ability, like Nathan Johnson saw a gas station bathroom and went in there and said, This is great. I could put the bookshelves here. And then this way, people could come in, I could do their business, I could read my books. And then, you know, it's like, this gems are gonna, he saw his name in the phone book for the first time and he was like, things are gonna start happening for me now. To go through life that way is beautiful. like to think that every day, something's possible. And so I truly believe I don't think I'm good at any one thing. I think it's just this, this, this positive thinking and this delusional optimism to the point and, and that's why my husband and I are a good match. Because I think he's like, I'm the balloon that just flies away. And yeah, he's the tether. He pulls me down to say like, you know, this is how we're gonna do this. And I'm sorry, my things beeping. Oh, no, that's okay. Okay, that's the love and nature of podcasting is what I'm learning. And I don't mind it. I just kind of go with it. Okay, sorry. Yeah. Well, having said that your clients return and obviously your publisher says, Mary, next, Bring it on, because of this sense of continual reinvention or constant inspiration. So
Mindy Cohn 19:04
you know, you got to be doing something right now.
19:07
Yeah. I think Yeah. And I and I surround myself with really good people. And I think that took me the lady lobsters which I call you one of my lady lobsters. I
Mindy Cohn 19:16
can't tell you how thrilled I was Christian. No, truly, like I had won a globe, a Golden Globe. That I said to Mary Can I be a lady lobster? And he she said you are of good. You even have to ask so please explain lady lobster to
19:32
all our listeners. So Christian, I went through a very big L Word phase. I was watching the word obsessively to the point my husband was like, should I be worried?
19:43
Kelly Hershberger I got my hair cut, like amazing.
19:49
So there was this one episode, where all the ladies were at this fabulous dinner and one says, you know, you know when male lobsters get thrown into a pot, they Build a ladder to get out. But when female officers are thrown into a pot, they pull each other down to the bottoms that they could die together.
Mindy Cohn 20:08
I know it's morbid, but
20:10
go with it Christian and I have no idea.
20:13
It's morbid, but and I have no idea. There's no experts in crustacean civilities to like confirm or deny if this is a true fact, I've never actually like done, you know, the work to see if it works. But what it did make me stop I watched I think it was about 30 or 29 at the time when I saw that. And it just like stopped me in my tracks. And I was like wheat, who's in my lobster pot, because I know I have some pretty toxic people around me, and specifically women. And I think I hate to say that, but there's there's this woman and I and type of woman. That's right. It's hard. And so I started to think about like, I don't want to go to those dinners and talk about like, who had Botox and who's getting divorced and who's a leave that you're depleted, there's nothing that fills you and depress, it's depressing. And in, there's no growth and there's no, so I decided to weed out my pot so that I could, you know, help build that ladder. And I started to just surround myself with really good lady lobsters. And it was amazing. Based on just making that little switch in my head and getting rid of some of the bad ones. I I met so many other amazing women. I think that's why I was open to meet someone like Mindy and meet people, just this plethora of beautiful, strong, accomplished women. And I say that for women, like the best friend you could find is the one that looks at you and your best day and is like I'm so proud of you and you feel it like you absolutely feel it. That's that's friendship. That's Yes, your beautiful friendship.
Mindy Cohn 21:37
And that's great. I mean, we were absolutely lady lobster to me. Beyond and love. I love that. So right now I know it's such a weird time. And I know you are just getting back to work. I mean, I know you made sure Michelle, you and Michelle kind of really talked about putting heads together and coming up with some solutions during COVID. And now that yes, it's starting to come out What are you currently interested in? Or what is your obsession? It does not have to be work related?
22:04
Yeah, no. So two things, obviously, the writing has been great. And hard to do too. But um, but that was also my solace. Like, we couldn't go anywhere. So talk about traveling without going where I would sit at my computer. And I was like, We're going back to Spain today. So I've been writing a lot I'm working on I'm good in your panties on, which I think will be Book Three. Oh my
Mindy Cohn 22:25
god. Yeah.
22:26
And it's sort of like that same thing. Like you could either get killed by this or you could just say like, Okay, how are we going to do because on March 8, we celebrated our 15th year in business with a big, delicious celebration. gratulations March 7, thank you. But on March 17th, you know, post COVID we got everybody go. And it was like, yeah, the guy big low. And then once we got our ppm, blah, blah, blah. We hired everyone back, Michelle. And I said, Listen, amazing. We don't know that. Yeah. And we just said, Everyone come back and what obviously no one's gathering. No one's eating off a tray for a really long time together in a crowded room. Yeah, what are we going to do? How are we going to stay relevant? What are we going to create? So I feel really lucky that clients like HBO, Netflix allowed us to do these box experiences to you know, basically, virtually Enjoy your zoom calls with drinks and food and Lalalala. Yes, I'm working on a frozen food line called nature. Because I'm sick of cooking, everyone's sick of cooking. Wait, say it again. Because I think I spoke over you. I'm working on a frozen food line called love Mary. So basically, from my kitchen to yours, and the ease of you don't have to cook, heat up a tray of pigs in a blanket, pour yourself a cocktail. By the time you drink that cocktail. You put these out on a tray and you're fine. So we're doing like a little lunch collection of our little bites for holiday. And writing and loving and actually really what this allowed me to, to to was getting really connected with New York City Food Bank, I've been doing a ton of stuff with them. And I know. So that's just the joy of and we're just going to continue to go and I keep telling my team like, No, we have no parties. You know, last August we you know, had 35 parties in two weeks. This August, we had two Wow. Yeah. But But you know what, we're very grateful for those two parties. And we're gonna keep going. I said, I'm not giving up until I really have to. And so we'll see what happens when
Mindy Cohn 24:19
people will start coming back and wanting to especially in house I think, want to feel safe to entertain in their own home again, and have small party so I'm not worried about you, kiddo. At all. Yeah, for sure. And also so I have been lucky enough to have an overnighter at Woodstock way. Talk a little bit about Woodstock, what it means to you and Ryan and and what's, what's going on there.
24:46
Yeah. So, my whole life because of my grandma Lucille and Montauk. My dad always used to say we're beach people, there's mountain people and there were beach people. Turns out I'm a mountain person. My husband and I went right 20 years ago, I'd never been to the mountains. I always wanted to go to sleepaway camp I specifically Jewish people. And I was just telling you that my mother, our whole thing was campus for parents whose kids whose mothers don't love their kids love me too much. Cuz I really want to go to camp. Right? Anyway, I finally got to the mountains at the age of 2526 and fell in love with Woodstock, the town of Woodstock. And yes, bought a house there. And just sort of that was our escape from family from work from everything. And, of course, what do you do when you escape? move to a town to escape from work? You open to businesses?
Mindy Cohn 25:39
If you're marrying Ryan, that's what you do. Yes. So
25:43
mostly Ryan's businesses, I just, I know everything from the side. But um, but
Mindy Cohn 25:50
what is yours and yours isn't. Exactly,
25:52
exactly. And now, we have which stuck with shindig, which is a little adorable comfort food restaurant, and then around the way is this now 14 room hotel, which is beautiful in the center of Woodstock on the waterfall on the one I mean, a lot of good vibes on there. Like Bob Dylan lived on the property, Jimi Hendrix within the property at one point, it has this it's been great. It's been attracting bootleggers and musicians and artists for years and we were just lucky to stumble upon it. And so now we are currently breaking ground right now for phase two of the hotel. And so that's why I'm kind of in Woodstock a little bit more to support my main and be around but I want you all to come visit and stay in the best the waterfall room.
Mindy Cohn 26:36
Oh my god, I will be there like without even trying hard. Now there as our little gift to you, but actually your gift to us. We're going to go into a little so little business. Okay, that's okay. Take a drink. Catch your breath. This episode is sponsored by Mary Giuliana catering and events. Celebrating 15 years of business she has launched her company based on the love of entertaining food and hospitality. She creates parties for the creme de la creme of the art, fashion and entertainment sets who want to break away from entertaining norms and instead hire her to create bigger than life parties one of a kind parties out of the box playful experiences that really only she can deliver. adapting to the times Mary's MGC collection offers packages for digital gatherings with a virtual collection to keep the whimsy and custom experiences going, no matter what the circumstances are. Go to marriage giuliani.com To find out more information to get more details about her catering and events business. As events are opening up again. She's your go to gal. If you can't find the information there. Go to Monday's with Mindy calm. We will have all this information in the show notes as well as a link to her site for books and all that other good stuff so you can read up on what she's doing. Check out her products that she mentioned a little while ago and see more about the events she's got hopefully hire her in the near future. And yeah, once again, thank you for joining us. We hope that our listeners and our viewers check it out and you know continue to support you in your ventures. But wait, there's more. We decided to do another ad that this episode a very special episode of Monday's with Mindy is also being sponsored by two of the must have books in any library. I encourage you to purchase the cocktail party, eat, drink, play, recover and tiny hotdogs. two books a third one on their way I have no doubt available wherever books are sold in person and online. I personally had mine sent to me by the author, but you can purchase them right on Amazon. They're plain as day seriously run run to read these these just must have your sponsor kiddo
28:45
12 year old virgin
28:48
Ralph macho new this whatever.
28:52
I love you man. I love you
Mindy Cohn 28:55
will love you right back excited. Oh, thank you. Love you right back. I mean, we really we really created this I mean, I'm going to probably talk at nauseam about this we really created this out of emptiness Christian and I both felt during the last five months of not being able to talk to each other's creative friends and just people we admire and how they were that was the one piece that was missing at least that was making me blue that connection that I have to the energy I get for being a creative you know and you're always at the top of any list of that because you are just so mindful of just living as a creative 24 seven and dragging your family and friends along with you whether they want to or not screaming so tell also, I just want to be a little bit of a tangential Trudi and talk about your on camera experience and how how that's manifested and kind of the trajectory of where you started and where you are now,
29:52
are you talking about my cameo and billions on Showtime
Mindy Cohn 29:55
billions. I mean, I was green with envy again. This one, this one gets a guest spot a little featured role on one of my favorite Shows of All Time. And you were fabulous. You and Michelle. Thanks. So um,
30:11
okay, so very quickly with but I, you know went to Georgetown English major theater minor graduated and I was going to be and actually I graduated the same year as Bradley Cooper class at 97. And we graduated my thing might be on your client list and might not be on your client list. I'm just saying my client list you know what
30:38
he applies to the actor studio gets in, I apply to the actor studio in front of James Lipton. I do not get in, he goes on to win an Oscar, I go on to serve him tiny hotdogs is the wild things. So I you know, I took a job in between auditions at a catering company. And it'll took me within like two weeks of being there. And I was like, catering, whatever, I'm going to be star. And I was there for two weeks. And I was like, No, no, this is like be what I want to be. It's the attrex it's food. It's gathering flow. But they said traveling without going anywhere. It's all the things that I thought actresses get to do. They get to be other people. And so I get to sort of live in other people's lives for a moment and then get these beautiful glimpses. So I adopted this very like if you can't join him serve him philosophy about like, be on the stage with them. But also serve them some food and get some to see some really great things and that sort of a tiny hotdogs is about it's like this little tray of hotdogs. You know, everyone's favorite thing has just shown me the world. So lo and behold, yeah, I get an email from Brian Koppelman, to me a brand consistent saying, Brian, is it okay, man, before you get that call and talk about billions. Talk about just your teaching experience on food? Yeah, yeah. Okay. So before you get too hot it Okay, brilliant. So, um, so yeah, so sort of just, if you can join them, serve them. I'm going to, I'm not going to be on stage with them. But I'm going to serve them great food and get these great glimpses into so many wonderful lives. And how cool is that? And I was good and happy with that. Yet the performer in you is always, you know, wanting to perform. And so someone came around and said, you know, well, actually, I was in a kitchen doing a party in Montauk for Mickey Drexler, the CEO of J. Crew. He's one of my mentors, and, like my Facebook, he's my MacBook.
Mindy Cohn 32:30
And that's family for all you non Jews out there.
32:34
And he, I grew up I'm Italian. I grew up in all Jewish neighborhood greatness in New York. And I went to Hebrew school actively. So my heart Mary is one of my only friends. I can actually talk English with me. I just got the whole thing. But I'm, I'm a, I'm a Mickey dressers kitchen and he comes in and first he was married. I got someone who wants to meet the caterer. And it's Martha Stewart and she walks in. And she's like, that's a long intro. I'm getting my cats to watch out the taco like, Martha, but whatever. Yes. 10 minutes later, he goes, Mary, I've got someone else who wants to come in and meet you. And I was like, okay, and he's like it was it? Was I in a garden in the back? Yeah. Wow. And he came in nature with Jeffrey. And that's been Jeffrey. And it was everything you wanted it to be? It was rainbows and butterflies and sunshine. And she asked me really beautiful questions about my catering to my business. And lo and behold, six months later, I was invited to cook in her kitchen. And I was on a barefoot contest. And that was my first TV thing. And I first,
Mindy Cohn 33:45
like, my first life, hers was bear contest. When was this twit timing. Oh my god.
33:53
It's the gift that gives nine years ago. And I have to tell you the air the same episode, I only shot one episode and the air three times a year. And everyone's like I sorry, on the Barefoot good design. I'm like, yeah, nine years ago.
Mindy Cohn 34:05
Yeah. that lead to Rachel reaching out to you or no,
34:08
that was separate. That was separate. But it opened up like this is TV. I'm on TV. I was wanting to be on TV because I just asked my arbitrary willingness to play. How do I get on TV? Like I want it to be like, maybe I wanted one your show. I want it to be jovial and you
Mindy Cohn 34:21
will be not on my show. But you will be on television. I know it.
34:24
I remember asking my dad, my grandpa like how I get on TV, and he would joke and he would stand by on the TV and pretend to solve the back. And then like I could just climb into the TV god I love when I did the beautiful condesa I was like, I'm on TV like this was a dream. And look, I had to become a caterer and I had to do all these things. And then from that, I was like, Yeah, I kind of want to do more TV and then when my first book came out 2015 the producer Tara Fogarty, read it over the weekend, brought it into Rachel put it on our desk and said, you're gonna love this girl. You're gonna absolutely love this girl. And I started doing the show. And Rachel, like, six or seven appearances in and about, you know, she's all business and she works so hard. She comes in and usually I was used to like I come to do my thing. We take a picture she kisses me goodbye and walk away and she threw me for right now because she was like, What are you doing Saturday? We're going to dinner and like that was it and then we became friends and but I've been on the show I'm on like once a month but but so yeah, but my big, big break. My navan Johnson big break came when Brian Cox personally required me to do a cameo on billions that I shot. The last day I was in New York City prior to the city getting shut down. I shot that on March 13. And the city shut down. I didn't know that. And I am the last episode that got in this season. And they're not even shooting the second part yet. And so what a gift that was, um, that I made it just by the skin of my
Mindy Cohn 36:00
and you made it girlfriend universe
36:03
and trailer and I had makeup and hair and I wasn't serving anyone food. Because I was playing the caterer and
Mindy Cohn 36:14
yeah. No, no, I drank it wasn't food. It was a drink or a four axis
36:21
champagne. I mean, I don't care what you do. You're on billions. Okay, cool. It was pretty cool. But Mindy, it made me realize that we can do this. I'm in no tipping point.
Mindy Cohn 36:31
I want to just say on this episode of Monday's with Mindy wood you will be able to see for the rest of our lives or here for the rest of our lives. That free HBO HBO will be a television or movie project made and you will be able to see it has to be done. Christian it's one of the most incredible stories I've ever read in my life.
36:50
But I'm only doing it to do with me and I'm only doing it if Showtime. HBO funny if it was I think it'd be hilarious HBO on Showtime?
Mindy Cohn 37:02
Honestly any platform that buys
37:04
it would be hilarious.
37:09
No, no Netflix. How great would that be?
Mindy Cohn 37:11
I have to say Truly, I mode. I am 54 years old and it's truly one of the top five stories ever that I've read. And it's when you read it you see it? Well I can't you just do you see it? I think you she sent you to me there's like a whole cosmic Yeah,
37:30
email. Potter. You know grace Potter the musician? Yes. She's wise musician. In this project. She wrote a song called big white gate. Please listen to it tonight. Okay, she said she didn't know who she was writing it for. And she thinks she was writing for Lucille now. Oh, it's crazy. It's like this. It's in my gosh, I love it. So you know like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Like, I have made fire. Yes. We will make free HBO I
Mindy Cohn 38:00
wish I had a volleyball or something.
38:03
Exactly. Exactly. So what is what is next on your agenda have has come here. This is amazing. Like there's nothing else I need to do beyond today. You guys like oh my god. I clean my car right now and be happy. My life was beautiful. No, no, no. So I I know that you ensconced yourself a couple days a week with all that's going on at Woodstock in the house and you're writing Yes, I'm writing away I'm writing a lot a lot coming out. I'm actually just put this thing up. I wrote about Elaine Kaufman and Kenny shops in here with these restaurant tours. Elaine was one of my he took me a little Miche book. She took this little she took me under her wing and she yelled and told me you don't give celebrities anything for free on the train. And she she schooled me on the etiquette of I loved her so much she was crazy. She was she was hard but she had like a Lucille quality or her if she liked you and you made her laugh and you made her smile. It was like the greatest thing in the world. I'm just read something about her but I am. Yeah. So just writing. I'm writing. I'm trying to keep my business alive. I'm trying to be healthy and all the people that we love and that this is over and that we get a new president
Mindy Cohn 39:17
of same Can I cheers you to that. Okay, thanks. Okay. Yep. Not to get political. But let's get political. Yeah.
39:26
This is Mary. Air money.
Mindy Cohn 39:29
Thank you. Yeah, exactly. Mary, thank you. I adore you. With every ounce of my being a Christian you now maybe can understand the why I just flocked to this woman, kindred spirits. Yeah. You're remarkable. And thank you so much. Thank you for joining us.
39:50
I love you guys.
Mindy Cohn 39:51
Thank you for joining us. He saved your Monday. Because, ladies and gentlemen, just a reminder to check out Monday's with monday.com. For more information about Mary Giuliana, all of her businesses, all of her books, all of the details and everything creative that she's working on. We'll put as many details up there as we possibly can. Because this is evolving as you know, the rest of the world is but she is definitely on the rise even more so. So please check her out, follow along and stay tuned for more. Thank you very much, Mary. We are so grateful to have you here. Ladies and gentlemen. The Fabulous Mayor Giuliani.
40:25
Thank you. You can't wait to hug you. Love you to sing
