This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:20] Elliott Mattox: This is Equity One, Broadway's Happy Hour. Pour yourself a drink. Enjoy us as we chat about life, theater, and everything in between. I'm Elliott Mattox.

[0:31] Caleb Dicke: And I'm Caleb Dicke. Join us for your Equity One.

[0:38] Elliott Mattox: Cheers.

[0:40] Caleb Dicke: Good morning.

[0:41] Elliott Mattox: Good morning, Caleb.

[0:43] Caleb Dicke: Good morning to you, Elliott.

[0:44] Elliott Mattox: This coffee, like I'm aware.

[0:47] Caleb Dicke: We're having coffee right now. Did you ever, um, do any camps and you sang the "I'm Alive, Alert, Awake, Enthusiastic" song?

[0:54] Elliott Mattox: No.

[0:55] Caleb Dicke: Would you give me a taste?

[0:56] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, it goes like this. I'm alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic. I'm alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic. I'm a lavelird awake. I'm awake, alert a lot. I'm a lavelird awake, enthusiastic.

[1:06] Caleb Dicke: That sounds familiar.

[1:07] Elliott Mattox: And then you go faster.

[1:09] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. Um, we always did "Rise and Shine" at ours.

[1:14] Elliott Mattox: I don't know that one.

[1:14] Caleb Dicke: Oh.

[1:15] Caleb Dicke: Rise and shine. Give God the glory, glory.

[1:19] Elliott Mattox: Yes!

[1:20] Caleb Dicke: Give God the glory, glory, rise and shine and give God the glory, glory, children of the king.

[1:29] Elliott Mattox: I want to like run around the room and clap.

[1:32] Caleb Dicke: Exactly.

[1:33] Elliott Mattox: Exactly. Well, we are here in my, in the apartment, and um, of course, there's construction outside.

[1:41] Caleb Dicke: Um, there's even more construction than usual.

[1:46] Elliott Mattox: I know. Down the street they're like tearing apart a building.

[1:49] Caleb Dicke: Or taking a generator.

[1:50] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, I don't know what that is. That's a crane, though, it's like a crane.

[1:53] Caleb Dicke: It's a crane, and it's taking up the whole street.

[1:56] Elliott Mattox: But I mean, it's fine, at least it's not my side of the sidewalk.

[1:58] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[1:59] Elliott Mattox: That's closed. That would be really obnoxious, but you know, it's okay. I mean, they almost took up the whole, I mean, they're, they closed that sidewalk, the street.

[2:07] Caleb Dicke: The street is fully taken up.

[2:09] Elliott Mattox: I felt like I was like walking like on a, you're like dodging, you know, men in construction hats.

[2:14] Caleb Dicke: There was actually a woman.

[2:16] Elliott Mattox: A work.

[2:17] Caleb Dicke: I know. I don't know if she worked for Con Edison or she had a, she looked very authoritative.

[2:22] Elliott Mattox: Work. Is that a word?

[2:23] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[2:24] Elliott Mattox: Yeah. Good for her. I love that.

[2:27] Caleb Dicke: She wasn't wearing like all white or anything but like I know I was about to say, did you watch the, I didn't watch it.

[2:32] Elliott Mattox: Well, I didn't want to give um anything, I didn't want to give him readings.

[2:34] Caleb Dicke: I don't care, I'm gonna watch like the, I watched some clips.

[2:39] Elliott Mattox: The clips, I'm gonna watch it later so. But I will say that like Alexandria Cortez, like did you see the gif of her just like, um, when everyone else is standing around her, she's just like sitting crossed arms, purse lips, just like big eyes and then she does like an, like a pseudo-eye roll and look to her right at the end of the, it's really, really funny.

[3:02] Caleb Dicke: I like the Pelosi um cloud back when she's like, yeah, that's the, that's the meme from last night.

[3:09] Elliott Mattox: Yes. Oh man. You know, government is just one big meme.

[3:12] Caleb Dicke: That's well, exactly. Well, if you can't laugh at it then speaking about like government and other things like that, this global warming, we've had like 50 degree, 60 degree weather.

[3:23] Elliott Mattox: It's too hot, like my apartment was literally freezing last week. Like I had to have my polar vortex on Friday. I had to have my super come and fix a draft because it was cold.

[3:35] Caleb Dicke: It was the draft coming from, from my bedroom.

[3:37] Elliott Mattox: Oh.

[3:38] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. And then I come back this from this weekend. Girl, it's hot.

[3:43] Elliott Mattox: It's hot.

[3:44] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[3:44] Elliott Mattox: It's hot. But it's supposed to snow next week, so don't get too great.

[3:49] Caleb Dicke: Great. My um sinuses are all up and down because I can, it knows the weather's changing.

[3:54] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, mine have been kind of a mess, but they're, they're actually on the upswing right now that I had like a cold.

[4:00] Caleb Dicke: So nah, you know, you, it's only up from here.

[4:04] Elliott Mattox: Sure, sure, sure. It gets better.

[4:05] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. How's your weekend?

[4:07] Elliott Mattox: It's been pretty good. Um, I was, I want to tell you about my new obsession on Netflix.

[4:12] Caleb Dicke: Please.

[4:12] Elliott Mattox: Which is Instant Hotel.

[4:14] Caleb Dicke: Oh, I saw your post about that.

[4:15] Elliott Mattox: I'm obsessed about it. So it's technically like Australian Airbnbs. That's like it in a nutshell.

[4:20] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[4:21] Elliott Mattox: And teams go, there's um, ten people, so five couples.

[4:26] Caleb Dicke: Uh-huh.

[4:26] Elliott Mattox: And they go to each other's Airbnb and like rate it.

[4:30] Caleb Dicke: Oh, okay.

[4:31] Elliott Mattox: And so like it gets to be like after like the first house, they figure out like it's a game and like a competition. Like, you think, oh, we're just gonna go on vacation, but then they're like, oh man.

[4:41] Caleb Dicke: Someone gets eliminated.

[4:42] Elliott Mattox: No, no one gets eliminated, but like you get points, and at the end you get a trip to America.

[4:46] Caleb Dicke: Oh.

[4:47] Elliott Mattox: To go to an Insta Hotel in California that's supposedly owned by a famous celebrity.

[4:52] Caleb Dicke: Oh. So interesting.

[4:54] Elliott Mattox: So like I would think that like I would like sabotage the other team.

[5:00] Caleb Dicke: Well, that, that comes into play, but it depends when you show your house, you have and everyone knows what you score.

[5:07] Elliott Mattox: Oh, it's not anonymous.

[5:08] Caleb Dicke: No. So they find out they're like, oh well, like they scored you four, so like when they come to your house, your house better be like amazing or they will tear you apart.

[5:17] Elliott Mattox: Work.

[5:18] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. It was really good at TV like drama.

[5:22] Elliott Mattox: It's dramatic.

[5:23] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, but also it's like also fun because I love staying in Airbnbs.

[5:28] Elliott Mattox: Yeah.

[5:29] Caleb Dicke: It's kinda different from like a ho, like an instant hotel. They kind of want the more of a, the owner is like separated and not really like there.

[5:37] Elliott Mattox: Yeah.

[5:38] Caleb Dicke: Which is some Airbnbs.

[5:44] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, for sure. I would highly suggest you watch it this week.

[5:48] Caleb Dicke: Instant Hotel.

[5:48] Elliott Mattox: Okay, I'll try it. I'll try it out.

[5:50] Caleb Dicke: I'm obsessed with it. How was your weekend?

[5:52] Elliott Mattox: Uh, my weekend was good. I went to um, I went to Pennsylvania to visit my friend Sydney.

[5:59] Caleb Dicke: Uh-huh.

[6:00] Elliott Mattox: And that was really fun. Um, got some really amazing balsamic that I'm excited to use.

[6:07] Caleb Dicke: Oh, I was making the um, basil tomato mozzarella.

[6:11] Elliott Mattox: Yeah.

[6:12] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. We, I got this, um, we went to this amazing um, olive oil and like, you know, olive oil and vinegar place.

[6:21] Elliott Mattox: Uh-huh.

[6:22] Caleb Dicke: And they had all kinds of flavors of balsamic.

[6:26] Elliott Mattox: What is the most strangest one?

[6:27] Caleb Dicke: Well, I bought um, bourbon maple balsamic.

[6:35] Elliott Mattox: Do you guys hear that? That was like somebody. It just sounded like a scaffolding crash to the ground.

[6:42] Caleb Dicke: It sounded like an angry bird.

[6:44] Elliott Mattox: Like it was like hurdled at a scaffolding, and it just crumbled to the ground.

[6:50] Caleb Dicke: There was like a good like glass shatter too, I feel like.

[6:52] Elliott Mattox: Oh my god, what is happening? When will it end?

[6:55] Caleb Dicke: What's, I want like a wrecking ball to like crash into your bedroom and just be like hilarious.

[7:04] Elliott Mattox: That would be funny.

[7:05] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[7:05] Elliott Mattox: What about like the wrecking ball song?

[7:07] Caleb Dicke: That's a great song.

[7:09] Elliott Mattox: Yeah. Really good song.

[7:10] Caleb Dicke: That was a good album.

[7:11] Elliott Mattox: 2014.

[7:12] Caleb Dicke: I think so.

[7:14] Elliott Mattox: Was that 2014?

[7:16] Caleb Dicke: No. That was a little earlier, right?

[7:19] Elliott Mattox: It had to be in between twelve and fourteen.

[7:21] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. I feel like that was like a junior year song, so like 13.

[7:25] Elliott Mattox: Yeah. I don't know. But my week was good. I finished reading a book.

[7:30] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[7:31] Elliott Mattox: And I started a new book, so I'm excited. You want to talk about either of those books?

[7:36] Caleb Dicke: You just um, sure.

[7:37] Elliott Mattox: Well, I finished. I'm like, no.

[7:40] Caleb Dicke: No, that's it.

[7:41] Elliott Mattox: I finished, I finished the book I bought last summer, which for me is great timing, actually. Like it takes me a long time to um, commit to reading a book. Uh, but it's called "When" and it's by Daniel Pink. And it's about like um, uh, it's about timing.

[7:58] Caleb Dicke: Uh-huh.

[7:58] Elliott Mattox: It's about like, you know, times in our day when we're more productive, least productive, um, the importance of like breaks and how specific and how many and um, it talks about even like, you know, deadlines, the from the start of a deadline to the end of a deadline, you know, when there's a pickup in productivity, when there's a lapse in productivity.

[8:23] Caleb Dicke: Sure.

[8:24] Elliott Mattox: It talks about, you know, it was really, really interesting.

[8:26] Caleb Dicke: Um, staked a claim on the book?

[8:29] Elliott Mattox: No, it's yours if you want it.

[8:30] Caleb Dicke: I would love to.

[8:31] Elliott Mattox: Great. I was actually thinking that like this is my 19 for 2019, but I think twenty for twenty might be my last.

[8:40] Caleb Dicke: Your last.

[8:40] Elliott Mattox: I think it was a good like five year like goal. But like ready to like twenty's a good even number to end on, isn't it?

[8:48] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, like stamp it and start a new book adventure.

[8:52] Elliott Mattox: I love that. So then you'll just start reading the Britannica.

[8:55] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[8:56] Elliott Mattox: Just reading the encyclopedia.

[8:58] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, and like highlighting it and filling in all of the empty holes with a pen.

[9:02] Elliott Mattox: Like the D's, the D's, the L's.

[9:04] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, that'd be a good Q's. Big game.

[9:07] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, yeah.

[9:09] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. So that's my life goal right now.

[9:11] Elliott Mattox: I love that. I think it's very doable.

[9:15] Caleb Dicke: It's attainable, like um.

[9:16] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, attainable.

[9:17] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it's very like concrete, reachable.

[9:22] Elliott Mattox: Fat in order, like I'm like you can see me doing it. Like, it's not like a dream of like I wanna be a doctor. Like, that's not a good like goal, but like I wanna like school color in all the holes in the encyclopedia Britannica, like.

[9:37] Elliott Mattox: I love that.

[9:38] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. I'm really excited for now.

[9:42] Elliott Mattox: I don't think you're gonna be able to carry the Britannica in your like book pocket in your coat.

[9:47] Caleb Dicke: I know. Do you see I have a different coat on, but that book is still slid into the front lock.

[9:53] Elliott Mattox: Yeah. You'll have to figure that out.

[9:55] Caleb Dicke: You know, weigh yourself down with things so then like it'll make you finish it so you don't have to carry it.

[10:01] Elliott Mattox: That's a really good point.

[10:02] Caleb Dicke: The problem is I've been keeping that book in my backpack for months.

[10:07] Elliott Mattox: And there's no banana.

[10:08] Caleb Dicke: So one time over Christmas break, I had a banana in the bottom of my book bag with books.

[10:13] Elliott Mattox: It was disgusting when I pulled up.

[10:15] Caleb Dicke: Gross.

[10:16] Elliott Mattox: You know.

[10:20] Caleb Dicke: And bananas like go bad like so fast.

[10:22] Elliott Mattox: So fast. Especially when they're in your backpack.

[10:25] Caleb Dicke: I need to buy like a banana holder.

[10:28] Elliott Mattox: Is that a thing?

[10:29] Caleb Dicke: Oh, I r, I swear I bet it is. But I bet they're all, you know, like we're all different shapes and sizes.

[10:36] Elliott Mattox: It's true.

[10:37] Caleb Dicke: It's true. And like a banana is still a banana and it can still give people nourishment.

[10:42] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, it can get the job done.

[10:43] Caleb Dicke: It doesn't matter how big or small it is. So just like finding like a silicone case that can like shape too like.

[10:51] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, that's a really good, that's a really good idea.

[10:53] Caleb Dicke: Like something maybe latex.

[10:55] Elliott Mattox: Yeah, but like still like protective.

[10:57] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah. Safety first.

[10:58] Elliott Mattox: Yes.

[11:00] Caleb Dicke: Well.

[11:01] Elliott Mattox: Okay.

[11:02] Caleb Dicke: Oh.

[11:05] Elliott Mattox: This is merch madness!

[11:16] Caleb Dicke: Alright. So I just hit my tooth on my mug.

[11:20] Elliott Mattox: Oh my god, we can't. I gotta shoot my tooth again.

[11:22] Caleb Dicke: You're drinking out of a Muni mug.

[11:24] Elliott Mattox: Yes, 2014. Still cool.

[11:25] Caleb Dicke: What? Is that the slogan for the year?

[11:28] Elliott Mattox: I guess so.

[11:29] Caleb Dicke: I don't know if I love that.

[11:31] Elliott Mattox: I like the mug though. It's a gorgeous mug.

[11:33] Caleb Dicke: We're like graphic. I'm drinking out of a Beetlejuice mug from the case.

[11:38] Elliott Mattox: Hey Marquee.

[11:40] Caleb Dicke: Ah, it looks so good.

[11:42] Elliott Mattox: I'm excited. I love um Alex peeking out the side.

[11:47] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it looks really, really good. And there's everything on the thing. And they put green lights at the top.

[11:52] Elliott Mattox: Oh, fear.

[11:52] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, so it's like not like super like white.

[11:54] Elliott Mattox: Mm-hmm.

[11:55] Caleb Dicke: It's gonna be cool. Alright, so as I mentioned in our last episode, I just, I just went to see Lady Gaga last month. And so I'm gonna be doing some Gaga merch madness.

[12:09] Elliott Mattox: Please.

[12:10] Caleb Dicke: Alright, so this, these are both the things from her um, her residency show. I did get a sweatshirt from the jazz and piano show that's really cute. It has like L G on the front and it looks like a treble clef.

[12:23] Elliott Mattox: Oh.

[12:24] Caleb Dicke: And then it's like her in that like black and white, like pose. Um, and that was like the only piece of merch they had, and I got the last small, like the last one. I got the display.

[12:34] Elliott Mattox: Oh wow, you're like, give me a yeah.

[12:38] Caleb Dicke: So, but these are the two of the shirts from Enigma, which is like her residency show. The first one is a short sleeve. This is very your color. Oh my god, it is neon green. It is like very, very green, and it has um a pink Enigma logo on it, hot pink. Um, and it says Lady Gaga, and just like a good old impact font on the back. Um, and I like I love this shirt. It's really bright. I don't normally go, I like I like a lime green, but I don't usually go for like a neon color on my skin just because did you ever see that episode of 30 Rock where Liz Lemon is like um Jenna's maid of honor and she chooses like a lime green leotard for her maid of honor dress? And and Liz Lemon goes, Jenny, you know I can't wear this. I have witch undertones. And then she puts the green up to herself and it reflects on her skin. Sure. This is very that.

[13:35] Elliott Mattox: That is funny. Uh but this is uh this is a cute shirt and it's short sleeve. So this is the one I wore like on the plane home. Sure, yeah, guess what I just saw? Yes, got then I got this long sleeve shirt. So this long sleeve is like her logo, I guess, for the the concert. It's like her in a wig and like crazy neon makeup, mesh top. Yeah, it's very graphic and it has like Enigma. It looks like it's just like projected onto her, which is cool. Um, so it's a very graphic front of it, and then on the back, yes, it has Enigma, Enigma, Enigma, like in in four neon colors in pink, blue, green, and orange. And I loved the back of this. That's why I like I had to buy this because the back is like so cool. Um I the front is a little busy, but I do like the the imagery. Like I like the how graphic it is. It's busy, but it also like is cohesive and kind of goes all well together.

[14:39] Caleb Dicke: That's like complete. Yeah. I also like have to think, like, I come from a a music theater merch place, which is very different than like concert merchandise. Oh yeah. Like this is very much like her poster on a shirt. You know what I mean? And I feel like that's very much like a concert shirt. Um and it's long sleeved, it's black. I like this. I haven't worn this yet because I don't know when it's gonna be 70 degrees or two degrees. Sure. Um, but I think it's really really cute. I feel like um I like the idea of the long sleeves. I feel like you'd be like a long length. Yeah, just Enigma, like yeah, just like very like mysterious and like some black jeans and yeah, and just a blue wig. Oh just a blue wig. Um yeah, so I love both of these shirts, but I gotta say that the winner for me this week is gonna be my long sleeve shirt.

[15:26] Elliott Mattox: I would agree. I think it's really cool. It's really like I like the variety of the colors, like it's not just like green, pink, you know what I mean? Um, and I love the back. The back is my favorite part. It's like so cool. I think the shirt right now would say, you know, there could be 99 people in a room. Yeah, but you're just thinking about one person who believes in your own. There could be there could be two shirts in merch madness, and 50% of them aren't you. And all you need is 50% to be you. And Elliot chose me. Yeah. So they're like really like indebted to you and thankful for everything you've done. Caleb, okay. Caleb will not will never stop tagging me in nine and gaga memes and making it come back to the 99 people bullshit. I love it. I think it's so good.

[16:13] Caleb Dicke: If you don't know what it is, look up Lady Gaga, 99 people in one room. Oh my god. If you don't know what it is, come welcome to pop culture now. But like this it is hilarious. Her marketing team knew a story and wanted her to push it for every single Oscar moment. Well, and that's the thing is that I think we've talked about this, but like she she's like a um, you know, she was used to doing like radio tours. Yeah. You know what I mean? So, like, that's what she did on press, I'm sure for her albums, is she had her kind of script and she would say those things and it would be in like random cities. It wouldn't be like Right, and no one's gonna be compiling that, but now it's very funny. I love it.

[16:56] Elliott Mattox: I love it too. It makes for me it's like relatable. Like, I feel like if I were like in a movie and doing press, I would say the same shit over and over again, and like I don't know. I love it. Maybe I'm an apologist, but fucking, I don't like it. I love it. I love it too. Alright. And uh, yeah, I mean, that's all that's all I have for Merch Madness this week. Beautiful. Do you wanna talk about our special guest for this week's episode?

[17:25] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I think um this person who's very in both of our lives, which is exciting. Yes, someone who we both uh are in contact with a lot and work with pretty closely. And has the most amazing eyes in the business. He is very handsome. I'm kind of like nervous for the interview of being like lost in his eyes. Get it together, Caleb. Okay. It's gonna be okay. Okay. This week we have something really fun and different for you guys. Uh we are going to be talking to Dustin Flores, who is um our agent at the mine. At the mine here in New York City. So I think he'll have a really cool perspective on um what he does and kind of that side of the business for you guys. Yeah. Here we go.

[18:13] Elliott Mattox: We'll take a class. Together. Cheers. Cheers. Okay, we are here with our special guest for the week.

[18:21] Dustin Flores: Hi. How are you?

[18:25] Elliott Mattox: Good. How are you?

[18:26] Dustin Flores: Good.

[18:27] Caleb Dicke: We're so excited to sit down with you. It's been like figuring our schedules up to now happen.

[18:32] Dustin Flores: Oh, it's no, it's not your fault.

[18:34] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[18:34] Dustin Flores: There's always something to do afterwards.

[18:35] Caleb Dicke: There's always something to do.

[18:37] Dustin Flores: Literally always.

[18:38] Caleb Dicke: No.

[18:39] Dustin Flores: Even if I think I have a free night, it's not really free night.

[18:41] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, no. Something always happens.

[18:43] Dustin Flores: Somebody's going on for something or yeah, of course.

[18:46] Caleb Dicke: Of course. That's the exciting part though. You're like, okay, I gotta go. What shows tonight?

[18:49] Dustin Flores: Yeah, exactly. We both saw shows last night.

[18:52] Caleb Dicke: We saw I saw the Cher show and he saw my Fair Lady.

[18:55] Dustin Flores: What'd you think?

[18:55] Caleb Dicke: I've seen it, I loved it.

[18:56] Dustin Flores: Yeah, I like that. It's my second time.

[18:58] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[18:58] Dustin Flores: It was great.

[18:59] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. I love Cher.

[19:00] Dustin Flores: I think it's fun.

[19:01] Caleb Dicke: It's so fun.

[19:01] Dustin Flores: It's fun.

[19:02] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. Last night I was actually like the lights in the mega mix at the end were so bright that I actually had to close my eyes. I think I was like hung over a little bit. I was like, these are so bright.

[19:12] Dustin Flores: Yeah, I think if you just want to go and like just have fun. Just be like good dancing, great music, and like awesome costumes. Just have a good time.

[19:20] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it's really fun.

[19:21] Dustin Flores: It's like a feast.

[19:22] Caleb Dicke: Yes.

[19:23] Dustin Flores: Yeah. The Bonusky number like gets me lots of people.

[19:26] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[19:26] Dustin Flores: Lots of pretty people.

[19:27] Caleb Dicke: Lots.

[19:28] Dustin Flores: There's no shortage of that.

[19:30] Caleb Dicke: My friend Lady was good. I hadn't seen it yet.

[19:32] Dustin Flores: It's good.

[19:33] Caleb Dicke: I haven't seen it with Laura.

[19:34] Dustin Flores: She was great.

[19:35] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[19:36] Dustin Flores: Uh she was great.

[19:37] Caleb Dicke: I've always been a big fan.

[19:38] Dustin Flores: And Danny Burstine as well. Huge fan.

[19:40] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[19:41] Dustin Flores: But um, yeah, it was good.

[19:42] Caleb Dicke: That house is amazing.

[19:44] Dustin Flores: It's so huge.

[19:46] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[19:46] Dustin Flores: It's very large.

[19:48] Caleb Dicke: Isn't it crazy how the the actors would ever have to like run on with the set?

[19:52] Dustin Flores: You know?

[19:52] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[19:53] Dustin Flores: Because it's so like they can't really just bring it on from the wings.

[19:55] Caleb Dicke: Like they have to actually like actually bring it on the tick.

[19:57] Dustin Flores: I wonder like what's like to like ride it around.

[19:59] Caleb Dicke: You're like, yeah, here we go.

[20:01] Dustin Flores: Well, and what was crazy too is I was on like the one of the sides of like the thrust.

[20:06] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah.

[20:06] Dustin Flores: So there like for the big bar thing, I was like fully people like in costume, but with a headset.

[20:11] Caleb Dicke: I was like, Word.

[20:13] Dustin Flores: Yeah. The stage manager's in costume.

[20:16] Caleb Dicke: I love it.

[20:17] Dustin Flores: Yeah, it was that house is pretty cool too.

[20:20] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[20:21] Dustin Flores: It was amazing.

[20:21] Caleb Dicke: It's fun.

[20:22] Dustin Flores: Yeah.

[20:22] Caleb Dicke: It was good.

[20:23] Dustin Flores: What have you seen lately that you like loved?

[20:25] Caleb Dicke: Oh god.

[20:26] Dustin Flores: Um I've seen everything.

[20:29] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[20:30] Dustin Flores: Uh I just saw Jeremy Hansen, if you can believe it.

[20:33] Caleb Dicke: You just now saw it.

[20:34] Dustin Flores: I haven't seen it yet either, so it's pretty incredible.

[20:36] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it's it's great.

[20:39] Dustin Flores: Um what else did I see?

[20:41] Caleb Dicke: I mean, I saw Cher, I saw King Kong.

[20:43] Dustin Flores: Um, oh um To Kill a Mockingbird.

[20:47] Caleb Dicke: Oh, yeah.

[20:50] Dustin Flores: And I'm not like I mean I do so many musicals, you know, so I'm not like a play guy per se.

[20:55] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[20:55] Dustin Flores: But that one just like it really is just so poignant and like so it's just kind of sad how it resonates right now too.

[21:03] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[21:04] Dustin Flores: Everything that's going on.

[21:05] Caleb Dicke: Um but it's brilliant.

[21:06] Dustin Flores: I think that's like number one to go see.

[21:08] Caleb Dicke: Do you remember reading the book as a kid?

[21:10] Dustin Flores: But like I read it so long ago, yeah, and then I hadn't really like revisited it for so long.

[21:15] Caleb Dicke: And to n to see it now and to see how relevant it is pretty great.

[21:20] Dustin Flores: Yeah, yeah. The performances are awesome.

[21:22] Caleb Dicke: I know I want to see it so bad, but that takes a lot of planning.

[21:25] Dustin Flores: Yeah.

[21:26] Caleb Dicke: With a show like that, I'm gonna have to like wake my ass up early.

[21:29] Dustin Flores: Our client covers um Jeff Daniels.

[21:32] Caleb Dicke: Oh wow.

[21:33] Dustin Flores: Yeah, so like I saw Jeff who was fantastic, but now I'm just waiting for him to call out so I can you're like, get tired, Jeff.

[21:42] Caleb Dicke: Exactly.

[21:44] Dustin Flores: Go out to shoot something or film something, you know.

[21:47] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah, get take a hiatus, take a break.

[21:50] Dustin Flores: Well, I'm also obsessed.

[21:51] Caleb Dicke: I want to tell our listeners like we have the most beautiful edge glasses here at the mine.

[21:57] Dustin Flores: They're gorgeous.

[21:58] Caleb Dicke: They are, they were a um a holiday gift from one of our clients years ago.

[22:02] Dustin Flores: Oh it came with a decanter and everything.

[22:05] Caleb Dicke: So yeah, everyone's so pretty.

[22:09] Dustin Flores: Also, we have a bar in our office.

[22:11] Caleb Dicke: Can we say that?

[22:13] Dustin Flores: Yes.

[22:14] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, because at every job, you know, you need you need somewhere to go.

[22:18] Dustin Flores: Well, yeah, well, like the whole like sort of decor and concept of the mine of the beginning was was um to be like madmen.

[22:26] Caleb Dicke: Which is like the old pictures and all that.

[22:27] Dustin Flores: So we were like, well then we need a bar, because right, because they're always drinking on madmen.

[22:30] Caleb Dicke: Totally.

[22:32] Dustin Flores: Just starting the day with with just bourbon on the city.

[22:35] Caleb Dicke: Exactly.

[22:37] Dustin Flores: I never got into madmen.

[22:38] Caleb Dicke: Oh, I did.

[22:39] Dustin Flores: I tried.

[22:40] Caleb Dicke: I tried, but it just never like grabbed me.

[22:44] Dustin Flores: Yeah.

[22:45] Caleb Dicke: Well, if you start Mrs.

[22:46] Dustin Flores: Mazel, I feel like that's gonna be the new Mad Men.

[22:48] Caleb Dicke: I feel like it's taken the started it.

[22:50] Dustin Flores: It's really good.

[22:51] Caleb Dicke: I know everybody has that smile when they talk about it.

[22:54] Dustin Flores: Totally.

[22:56] Caleb Dicke: It's like really like New York too, so it feels like it's like I know I love when the second season came out, like everyone on social media was like, look for me in season two of Marvelists of Basil.

[23:06] Dustin Flores: It was like every single person that I know had like was in like a dance scene or like it's like just in a quarter of a diner somewhere in school.

[23:15] Caleb Dicke: I know, I know.

[23:16] Dustin Flores: But usually I know to look for you.

[23:18] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[23:19] Dustin Flores: But n this was every other single person I know.

[23:21] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[23:23] Dustin Flores: Anyway. Well, we like we like to start the official interview by just having our guests tell uh our listeners a little bit about what first got them interested in the arts and kind of led them down a uh pathway in that uh career.

[23:37] Dustin Flores: Sure. So I um I grew up in California. I'm in Northern California, and then I'm the oldest of five boys and um a not musical family at all. Nobody knew anything about musicals, theater, like I didn't watch Greece, I didn't do any of that. Sure. Um and there was a sh a talent competition show on back then called uh Star Search. And there was like I was really young, but I probably like fourth grade. Um and there was this group on there that I don't remember what they were called, like was like three men and a little lady or three boys and a little like I don't know, but it was young boys, probably like ten or eleven and their sister and they were dancing to like hip hop or whatever, and I was like, I wanna do that.

Um and so my grandmother paid for my parents were like, no, absolutely not. And my grand my grandparents paid for me to uh take dance class. Well, my fifth grade, that's when I first started for a year. And I went and I thought it was gonna be hip hop and it was like ballet bar. And I don't know. And I was like, uh this is not what I signed up for.

[24:39] Yeah.

[24:41] Dustin Flores: But my d dance teacher at the time, um I guess saw something in me or whatever. And so I can I went for that year, and after that first year, my grandma was like, I'm not paying for it anymore. And my parents were like, We're not paying my dad was like completely against it. And my dance teacher let me go for free. Wow for the rest all through high school. And so I spent um like it was like my second home. Like I would go to school and then go to dance and be there till like eight or nine o'clock at night. Every and it was just it was like a second family.

[25:14] Dustin Flores: Uh she lives in Jersey, and we danced together back then, and we were just reminiscing about how like it was the dance training and all of that, but it was more just the camaraderie in that family, like, you know, like escaping my crazy home life.

[25:27] Dustin Flores: Um so when I so I so the next year or whatever, they were doing the music man at a community theater, and my mom found it, she was starting to get on board at this point. So she found it in uh like the local newspaper and so it's like you have to go and you have to sing 16 bars. Well nobody knew we didn't know what 16 bars, but you know, whatever.

[25:46] Dustin Flores: Right. So I I went to the audition, having never auditioned before, with a cassette tape of the dirty dancing soundtrack. And I send both parts of I've had a time of my life. Right.

[25:59] Dustin Flores: Oh yeah. Oh my god, I'm obsessed with that. And um the director was like, Okay, well that was fine. Let's have you sing happy birthday so I can sing, like, see if I could sing on theater.

[26:09] Dustin Flores: Right. And I got and I got part of Winthrop in that um and I was hooked from then I was I was like totally hooked. So like I just did theater and all through growing up, um, went to high school. I was ended up going to I was at a Catholic school from kindergarten through eighth grade, but then I went to a public high school that had a really good theater department, and I was like the lead in the musicals at all the whole time.

[26:31] Dustin Flores: Um and then uh moved to New York. I always knew I wanted to be in New York, always. I had even from a little kid, I was like, I'm going to NYU. I don't even think I knew what NYU was.

[26:40] Dustin Flores: Right. You saw it somewhere. And like I think I was watching Felicity, and like, you know, I was like, I need to be, that's where I need to be. So I didn't go to NYU, but I went to Amda.

[26:50] Dustin Flores: Um and I moved here right after I graduated high school, came here, and then was done with school because Amda's a two-year program by like I was I don't think I was 21 yet.

[26:59] Dustin Flores: Yeah, wow. Um and I didn't know what I was doing next. And well, I think my last week of Amda, I auditioned for real Caribbean, and I got a cruise ship where I had to be Ricky Martin and Mark Anthony.

[27:16] Dustin Flores: Um and so I did that contract, and crazy that contract was really nuts because uh halfway through it, the first part of it was Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and the second part was New York to Bermuda. The first part, oh no, the first part was fine. Second part, New York to Bermuda.

[27:37] Dustin Flores: We were on our way back from Bermuda, and we had to do this. Was a this was before like they had these huge ships. Right. It was a big ship, yeah, not like these like floating hotels. And so we had to do two um two shows per every show we did two of them because it was like half of the seating would eat dinner and then they'd come to the show later.

[27:56] Dustin Flores: Yeah, so between the two shows, um the like it would make this noise go do do do, and they would it would say announcements, but they never did it during showtime. So I was like, that's weird. And the uh second officer came on and said um fire main engine, fire main engine.

[28:18] Dustin Flores: And like we were all and I'm like a big scaredy cow, and I was like, what the fuck? Like, is okay, and then they were like places, and I was like, wait, what do you mean places? Like, we gotta figure out what's what's going on. And I started the show.

[28:30] Dustin Flores: This particular show was called Jump Jud and Swing. And I started this one, and they started the overture, and then the seven short one long, which is the emergency signal on boat, came on. Um, and the captain said, ladies and gentlemen, please go down to your cabins and get your life jacket, any medication you need, you know, basically get ready to disembark.

[28:48] Dustin Flores: Yeah. And sinking. So I think of Titanic. Yeah, immediately. Yeah. So part of what our our duties are is like we have to check people in, like, at the muster station and be like, so like I'm like crying, like what you know, what's gonna happen, and trying to calm the passengers down being like, who's this idiot crying? Like, what's actually happening?

[29:07] Dustin Flores: So we ended up not sinking, but we lost power completely. Um, and so tugboats had to come back and pull us back to Bermuda. They let everybody, they flew everybody home. We got like a two-week vacation in Bermuda when they fixed the ship. Then the last week of the contract, we were in New York on Sundays going to Bermuda.

[29:29] Dustin Flores: That was my very last week. I was saying bye to my boyfriend, I was and I had this feeling like this is not gonna be the last week. I don't know, I just had this really weird fee feeling, and that was Sunday. Tuesday was September 11th.

[29:41] Dustin Flores: Wow. And so I remember um we got paid in cash back then, um, and you would have to go to like the office and you would give the cash, they'd give you like a money order, and you could send it to your bank or you could send it home, and they had the TVs on, and I I saw the first tower had the plane had gone through, and I was watching as the second tower went through.

[29:59] Dustin Flores: Oh my god. And I mean the second plane went through the second tower, and I went and like knocked on everyone's cabin. I was like, 'cause we were all in New Yorker, we were all and then we sat in one cabin and just watched and wept the whole day.

[30:10] Dustin Flores: Oh my god. And that later that night they were like, you guys have to perform because everyone's in this like crazy mood. Most of these people are Americans, you know. Um, and we did one performance and everybody cried through the whole thing. It's like we couldn't get through to like to New York to know who was what was going on.

[30:26] Dustin Flores: And so anyway, I I told you that story, but that's just like my first professional job really, you know. Um, and then I came back and worked retail for a while. I like was like, what's next? I worked at DK and Y, worked at Mew Mew and Prada, and um, and then I got back into it a little bit.

[30:46] Dustin Flores: Like I started auditioning again, um, and really then started I did like an Aida and 42nd Street and Course Line and all of that. And all this time I kind of knew like what's gonna be next. Like this is really fun, and I I enjoyed doing it. I hated auditioning, I hated rehearsal, but I loved the family life of like the cast.

[31:04] Dustin Flores: And um I could not sing harmony at all. Like couldn't, I'd have an ear for it at all. So like I would like during Aida rehearsals, like I'm saying this out loud now, but um we were doing a gateway and they would go through everybody, like what's your part? And they'd make it and I would always get a stomachache during that part.

[31:21] Dustin Flores: So I'd go I'd have to go to the bathroom because I'm saying like, even though whatever part I would, I would always drift to the melody. Yeah, like I knew that it wasn't like ultimately gonna be like my thing. Um so I was always thinking about what was next.

[31:35] Dustin Flores: And then I got stuck in Radio City Land for a while, which I fucking loved. Um I loved doing radio city. I always wanted to do it ever since I was a kid. It was one of those things that I was like, and I remember um going to my first audition and how back then I don't know if they still do it the same, but you went in and you stood on an X, right?

[31:55] Dustin Flores: And then there were three people behind a table, one of them was the director, and the other one, and you sang for them, and it couldn't be a Christmas song, but it had to be something light, yeah something. And they talked about you while while you were standing there after you sung, and then they would either say stay and dance or thank you very much, right?

[32:12] Dustin Flores: So like that whole it felt like 10 minutes, but it was like 30 seconds of them being like, Oh my god. And I was so like excited and so all the thing, and Linda Haberman, who was a director at the time, said, We'd like to see you dance. And my initial reaction was just to go, yes!

[32:27] Dustin Flores: I felt like such an asshole. But anyway, I did that for three years and I loved every minute of it. Yeah, um, and the last year I kind of knew that it was gonna be my last year performing. Um, and I sent a bunch of emails to uh everybody that I knew in the business, and just I wasn't sure if it was casting or if it was I knew that I loved when my friends would get auditions and I would help them with their material and try to like not coach them but be like this was the job you should do, or this is the way so I knew I had like an agent thing in me, but who just becomes an agent?

[33:00] Dustin Flores: Like how you know I don't know how to do that, you know, like how um and so I got a few responses for for casting internships, and then I got an offer to go meet with an agency, and that one was a paid position. Um, and so I met with her on the last day, I think, of Radio City contract.

[33:20] Dustin Flores: I think it was like January 2nd or something, and she hired me on the spot. Um, and I started as an assistant, and then I was like, before it was like everything was done online, like you had to pull headshots. There's files and headshots, and you had to make like a submission.

[33:34] Dustin Flores: And I was pulling the headshot and be like, well, this is the wrong person for this. Like this person doesn't tap and you're submitting them for Billy Lawler. Like, what's going on here? So I started to be more like vocal and like and then um through a series of events, like ended up like helping with the theater department, you know, um, and then brought bringing my friends on and like expanded their their like Broadway bookings, you know, um like exponentially and just started because I just loved it and because I knew I had been auditioning for so long that the casting directors already knew me.

[34:07] Dustin Flores: So it wasn't like they had to introduce meet me and meet my client. Yeah. Um you already had an in a little bit. Uh and then the mine sent me a Facebook message um about a year and a half into that job and was like, hey, we'd love to meet with you.

[34:22] Dustin Flores: And I came and I met at the mine, and they put me through the ringer. I had like six meetings, and every single time, like one of them was like, let's go have drinks. And I was like, Oh, they're gonna offer me the job. And like my husband now, my boyfriend then or whatever, was like, you gotta wear an outfit.

[34:38] Dustin Flores: Like you gotta hold out, you know. So like I had like this is my like I'm gonna get the job outfit. It was literally just drinks. It was just it was like six elements later, you're like um, but finally they they they hired me and I came over here and now I've been here for eight years.

[34:53] Dustin Flores: Wow. Wow. That's that's like pretty crazy, but it seems like it it was pretty seamless. It was, and I think that's why it felt so right, and it still does. Like it, you know, I had the moment of knewing that I didn't want to perform, I think, right?

[35:10] Dustin Flores: Like I wasn't sure, like, and when I go see a client like in a show, is it gonna hurt my stomach? Like it's like is that what's that gonna am I gonna wish that was me? Um but it's but I don't and I didn't. Like it was like it was good and now I feel like I'm part of it.

[35:26] Dustin Flores: I feel like when I see like the mine or specifically my name in a playbill, it's like I'm doing something right, you know, like it really feels like all of my like life experience from performing to ne to everything has like led me to this moment and it's just it just it's good. I I'm happy.

[35:43] Caleb Dicke: I love that.

[35:44] Dustin Flores: Yeah, too.

[35:46] Caleb Dicke: Well, I wanted to ask, like you kind of touched on it and in the fact that you didn't have to like start anew making these relationships and casting and because that's so important I would assume in your job. Um what what other things do you think have benefited you starting as a performer coming into this?

[36:05] Dustin Flores: Yeah, I think that um be I think because I was an actor and because I auditioned and because I got rejected and because I waited by the phone thinking that it was going to be my turn, um I can empathize and understand what actors go through.

[36:27] Dustin Flores: And so there's not you know, sometimes I feel like I might be too forgiving or too understanding um as an agent because ultimately it's um it's a business about making money, right? But it's just not how I operate.

[36:43] Dustin Flores: I and and obviously we do really well, so it it's good, but um I'm I'm very actor friendly, and I think that is because I I at at my heart I'm an actor, right? That's what I was first.

[36:55] Dustin Flores: Um and so I think because I went through all of those ups and downs, I'm able to help our actors not always feel so down, you know, or when or or also understand that like that one opportunity at that moment is everything to that that person and when it doesn't go their way, they need a little bit of time to mourn that opportunity of what could be, and I completely understand that.

[37:22] Dustin Flores: And then on the other side, like I love to celebrate the wins. You know, I think it's really it's really fun to turn a no to a yes. Um it's also, you know, we have our actors like vary from like people that are right out of school to people that are in their 15th Broadway show.

[37:40] Dustin Flores: Um but I always and the more that I move up in the company, the more like, you know, I I tend to only or not only, but specifically deal with like some of the the higher level actors.

[37:52] Dustin Flores: Um I will always find my way back to what we consider developmental clients, and that's anyone that's like prior to making their first Broadway show debut or, you know, their first thing on TV or whatever. Because that phone call of getting to say you booked it, it will never ever ever get old. It really is a moment because I feel like I'm part of some huge milestone in that person's life, you know, and regardless if I'm still working with them 10 years from now or 20 years from now, or if they leave me next year, like I will always have been part of that first moment with them. So that is just something that will never get old. I think that's like the exciting parts about being an agent and like the joyful parts about doing it.

[38:40] Caleb Dicke: What are like the hard parts?

[38:42] Dustin Flores: Yeah, the hard parts are that we don't give out the auditions. And so like I think sometimes I do like a breakdown or I, you know, submitting for a certain show, and I'm like, oh my god, like we could cast this whole show. It's just the mind and then, you know, and there's so many other things that come into play with casting directors and, you know, I know their creative teams have lists of people they want to see, and there's certain things that we don't even know, like it can only be someone that's ethnic, or it can only be so there's so many factors that come into play. So that can be a little frustrating when we can only do so much and we wish that we could do more, you know. That's frustrating also if I get an actor or if I start working with an actor that has already been here for a while and sort of already has made the casting director rounds and casting directors have like a certain opinion of them, it can be hard to then change that.

Sure, you know, or, um, and so that can because I'll have seen somebody in a different light, or I'll have seen them when they're not as nervous or not as, and I'm like, oh my god, they really are awesome. Like if they could just get rid of those nerves in the room, you know. Um but sometimes, you know, I know casting directors' schedules are crazy, and so sometimes it's just like, oh I've seen them, but they're not really gonna be a fit for this. Right. And it's like, yeah, you've seen them, but like they've been working on that, you know, and so that can be challenging and a little hard to accept, you know.

[40:24] Dustin Flores: Um and even then we work hard to try to fix that or to maybe make tapes this time, like would you accept a tape or would you like, you know, to kind of go around that and rebrand somebody? Sure. Um, but that's like one of the biggest, the other another hard part about the job is when it's not working, you know, because I lose sleep. I honestly I will lose sleep if it's like an actor that I have to say, like we're not gonna re-sign you. And it's never that I don't want to re-sign them because I don't love them. You know, most of the actors that we work with, like we've worked with for a long time, and we have like a really loving relationship with them, and I love them as people and I love and I would continue for as forever because the easy thing to do is to just say let's re-sign again and just keep you on the roster and nothing's happening.

[41:16] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[41:16] Dustin Flores: Hard thing is to have that conversation that says, like, I don't know why I think you're talented, but for whatever reason, maybe who you're being submitted with in my office, maybe who it's just not working. And I love you, but you are only getting older, and it may make sense for you to change it up to see if somebody can look at you through different eyes, and that's a really terrible conversation because I'm friends with most of them, you know, so I don't want to be that person that another person in their life that says no. But sometimes you have to do it.

[41:49] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah.

[41:51] Dustin Flores: What's for the best though, like you're trying to just like push them along to a different card, maybe, and the thing is obviously you're talented because you would never have been here if you weren't, yeah. You know, and it could just be for a variety of reasons, you just need somebody that is gonna think a little differently, and I've sort of exhausted all my options at the moment.

[42:11] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[42:12] Dustin Flores: Oftentimes we have that meeting, and we end up signing at the end anyway because we're just like let's just keep going and see what happens because, you know, but and also that's a little bit of me just being like a chicken.

[42:25] Caleb Dicke: Um because I just I really hate it.

[42:28] Dustin Flores: I don't want to be another person that says that's a negative, you know, that shows negativity to you.

[42:34] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, I don't want that.

[42:35] Dustin Flores: Well, it's hard to, I mean, because this business feels so personal at times because like it's, you know, so much what we're putting into things, and it's, you know, relationships that we curate, and it's not always personal, but it's easy to take everything personally, yeah. Um, but I mean, in a way, that's, you know, that's the kind of like honesty and feedback I think actors like want all the time, you know.

[42:59] Caleb Dicke: Like I feel like so many actors feel like, oh well, I just don't know why things aren't blah blah blah blah blah. Like I can't get any feedback, I don't, you know, yeah.

[43:08] Dustin Flores: So sometimes what we want, which is like honesty and feedback, like is not always when you get you're like, oh no, I didn't want to get that. There's a lot of times where honestly we have to like we change it a little bit, you know, we make it a little bit easier to hear because sometimes casting directors are they're so busy and sort of like you really want feedback, this is why.

[43:30] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, and we're like, oh well, okay, well, like we're gonna filter that a little bit, but you know, um but it's just part of business, you know.

[43:40] Dustin Flores: It is, it sort of is what it is, and I think I get that most of you guys like put your whole all into everything, and so like it's not for a lack of like trying, you know. It's right, um and if because it doesn't happen in five years, it doesn't mean that it won't happen, that's the shortest thing, you know, like we I was just watching the SAG awards and some of the speeches were like so I thought so resonated so much with me because they were talking to other actors because it's, you know, the actors choose who wins, it's very much like and they were saying, you know, for all of you actors that are still can't pay your rent or you still can't like they're like that was me and you know just know that you're just one job away from where you want to be and it's like at any minute you can go in for that one job that just changes your life and so, um it that hope and that dream that's still there like it exists for a reason, right, because it really can change at any time.

[44:39] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, you just gotta keep up the confidence and the positivity.

[44:39] Dustin Flores: That's the hard part.

[44:39] Caleb Dicke: That is the hard part.

[44:53] Dustin Flores: Talk to us about how you find people, yeah, like selecting clients.

[44:53] Dustin Flores: Yeah, yeah, there's a variety of ways. Most of the time it's a referral from somebody, so whether it's a casting director or a client of ours that says like my buddy's looking for a new rep, or I see a show that my client is in and then I'm like, well, who's that person that, you know, and I meet them afterwards. Um we all do like the actors connections and one on ones and growing studio sometimes you find sometimes you don't, you know. Um, but for the most part, it's like somebody has seen you in something, whether it's us or someone connected to us, um, and then they recommend you.

[45:45] Dustin Flores: And now because everybody has footage somewhere, you know, like you can see what they do pretty much you don't really need to. I mean, that's the initial thing is like we can see something that you do that either like sparks an interest, and then um I meet with them, and the first thing I'm trying to like gauge is if they're crazy.

[46:03] Caleb Dicke: Sure.

[46:04] Dustin Flores: Yeah, you know, because like I can't, I just can't, right?

[46:10] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[46:10] Dustin Flores: So like if you're like I, you know, I really love people that have good hearts and are good people because I think the world needs more love in it, you know. So I don't want you to be the asshole at the audition that everyone's talking about.

[46:21] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[46:21] Dustin Flores: Um, but I just need to I need to be inspired in some way, yeah, you know, either by your energy, by your talent, by like because there's people that you meet and you're like, oh they're gonna go from show to show to show, like that's just who they are. And there's other people that are like super interesting and exciting, and you're just like, I'm not really sure where we're gonna go or what this is, but let's go on this journey together.

[46:45] Dustin Flores: And if you're willing to like play with me and figure out like what where this is gonna go, then um I'm more than happy to go on that journey with you. Um you just have to have some sort of like, you know, for me when I see somebody, whether it's like an amazing dancer or like an amazing singer or just amazing actor or whatever, like the hair on the back of my neck sort of stands up, and I get chills and I'm like, ooh, I thought that person's cool.

[47:08] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[47:09] Dustin Flores: Um, and then you just have to figure out like where in the business they fit.

[47:13] Caleb Dicke: But everyone sort of fits somewhere.

[47:15] Dustin Flores: You just gotta figure out what that is.

[47:18] Caleb Dicke: And when it fits.

[47:19] Dustin Flores: And when it fits.

[47:20] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, when the like stars align.

[47:22] Dustin Flores: It's like what does Oprah say? It's like success is when opportunity meets preparation.

[47:27] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, you know, so like you have to be, you can't wait to get that amazing audition to then find like that perfect song, right? You have to have the perfect song so that when the right audition comes, you're like, yeah, I got this.

[47:39] Caleb Dicke: So we were we were taught that at school.

[47:42] Dustin Flores: Yeah, we were taught that at school.

[47:43] Caleb Dicke: Oh, yeah.

[47:43] Dustin Flores: We went to OCU, and that's like one of our like the dance school.

[47:49] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[47:50] Dustin Flores: I did a like a master class at OU, but not in the school.

[47:55] Caleb Dicke: But I do the OCU NYC when they're, yeah, yeah.

[47:58] Dustin Flores: That'll be happening pretty soon.

[48:00] Caleb Dicke: Very soon.

[48:00] Dustin Flores: March something.

[48:01] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, soon.

[48:03] Dustin Flores: That's good, it's good stuff. And in school to like always have that like that eye come in, especially in Oklahoma, where it's like, you know, there's not only so in touch you can be if you're if you're in Oklahoma.

[48:14] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah.

[48:15] Dustin Flores: I mean it's a, it's the thing is the business, as you know, it changes so much. Like every season is completely different than the one before. Um and so if you're not like in it, like it's hard to change with it. So I feel like a lot, not necessarily OCU, I'm not saying that, but a lot of the schools they're still teaching like old school musical theater.

[48:35] Caleb Dicke: Totally.

[48:35] Dustin Flores: Single art from the industry, like in their teaching from still 20, 30 years ago. Girls are in their jewel tone dresses and character shoes, and like, you know, and it's like this, it's just not what it is anymore. But um, so it takes like coming to New York and like getting dirty a little bit to figure that out, you know.

[48:54] Caleb Dicke: No, totally.

[48:55] Dustin Flores: Um I wanted to ask what are some of the misconceptions people have about agents?

[49:02] Caleb Dicke: What you do?

[49:03] Dustin Flores: Yeah. Um. Because I feel like people like to blame their agent that they're not getting something like that. But I'm always like, no, like I think I know. Like I'd like to some people it feels like this like great powerful Oz that it's like this, like no one really knows what's happening. Like and I think that it would be like super beneficial for like actors to like spend like three months at an agency, like interning just to kind of see what it is, you know.

[49:31] Dustin Flores: Um I think you're right, everybody blames their agent. Like, and I it sucks, you know. Because it's like, well, I didn't get in because of my agent, or my agent's not submitting me, or my agent's not doing this, and it's not true, you know. Like it's in our best interest to get you a job because we're working for free.

[49:52] Caleb Dicke: Right, right.

[49:53] Dustin Flores: Like we're one of the only industries or professions where we sign up to work for free until somebody makes money, right? It's not like we're on retainer, we're getting paid 10 bucks every time you audition, you know. Um for someone who might not be like as theater savvy, an agent is paid about 10% of the actor's earnings.

[50:14] Caleb Dicke: Correct, yeah.

[50:15] Dustin Flores: So we basically bring on talent that we feel strongly about. We send them out to auditions, procure opportunities for them, and then, you know, facilitate callbacks, all of that, get feedback, get this person needs to, you know, wear a different shirt or do whatever.

[50:34] Dustin Flores: Um and then ultimately when hopefully if you book it, we negotiate your contract and make sure that we can get you the best deal possible.

[50:41] Dustin Flores: Um, and then we take 10% of your earnings. That's what we do. Um what was I saying before that? Um what people misconstrued.

[50:51] Dustin Flores: Yeah, so I think they've I think a lot of people think that we have our favorites, and you know, similar to like a casting director or a choreographer that has like which is not true. You know, we it's more if it's really exciting to get somebody, like I said, a Broadway debut or someone into a room that like isn't used to being into an invited dance call. That's really and so we're constantly pushing all day, we're constantly, and we're also hearing no.

[51:17] Dustin Flores: Yeah, you know, just like just like you guys are. And I think a thing that a lot of people forget is that when an actor is up for a major opportunity, so are we.

[51:29] Dustin Flores: Yeah, we're also up for a major opportunity, and when it doesn't go that actor's way, we have to be there to console them and to say it's okay and you're gonna get the next one, which we all absolutely believe, but there's no one to console us.

[51:43] Elliott Mattox: Right.

[51:45] Dustin Flores: Just just the string.

[51:47] Elliott Mattox: Right, exactly. That's why the bars outside.

[51:51] Dustin Flores: But ultimately, we we like, and I can't speak for all agents, you know, but but for me, like at the most like humble level, like I really care. I care about our clients, and I care about what we do, and I care about the the way we're uh perceived in the industry.

[52:13] Dustin Flores: Um, and so we work really hard at our at our branding and to make sure that all every casting director respects us and that they know that we respect them and that our actors feel feel valued, um, and not just the back the actors that are paying commission, you know, everyone that's on our roster, because you know, I mean, I represented or this office also being before me, uh, represented Ruthie, Ruthie Ann Miles for a long time, you know, before anything major happened.

[52:40] Dustin Flores: Like, she did some really great things, but like King and I was for Broadway debut, and that was her Tony that same year, you know. Like, so she she put a lot of time in and she did, you know, Here Lies Love and Q, and she did a bunch of things, but this was like her moment, and she waited all this time, and and I think it it was on purpose, you know, it was supposed to happen when it happened, and so that's sort of always in the back of our mind with our actors that we're just like it doesn't have to happen this year.

[53:08] Dustin Flores: I know I know they want it to happen this year, and we want it to happen this year for them, and we want them not to have to have a waiter job or a babysitting job or whatever they do, but it will happen. If you can if you wake up in the morning and you're like, This is still what I want to do, and this is the only thing I can think about doing, and you still have dreams of like going through the stage door or through being on set or whatever, then like keep going, you know, and we're there for you.

[53:33] Caleb Dicke: I love that.

[53:34] Dustin Flores: I love that too. I think that's nice for for people to hear.

[53:38] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, we're not like scary, like in a suite, you know.

[53:42] Dustin Flores: I mean, probably some people are, but like it's not gonna be me. You know, like it's like we're we're on your side.

[53:50] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, we're we want it to work out. We want we want you to succeed.

[53:53] Dustin Flores: Um, we're not trying to like get only a certain number of 15 people into the room. Like we're you know, we we if we sign up to work for you and go on this journey with you and are married to you for five plus years, you know, like we're working for you and we want it to happen.

[54:12] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[54:13] Dustin Flores: I um when I was working with the Goring Studio and I still have people like ask me questions. They're like, should I do the agent showcase? I always tell them like that well, like you have to be ready for an agent just because you want one doesn't mean you need one at the moment.

[54:27] Caleb Dicke: Do you feel the same way? What do you suggest to people who think that they want an agent and it might not be time for it?

[54:32] Dustin Flores: Yeah, I mean Is that a thing you think? I I I think that you don't need an agent, right?

[54:39] Dustin Flores: Like, because like I shouldn't shouldn't say that, but like when you when you uh are f when you're new and you're like you don't like if you don't get it's better to be by yourself and to like make the connection to have a back to bring something to the table to you so it's like they know me, like exactly like you don't you the great thing about New York is all the EPAs and ECCs, right?

[54:59] Dustin Flores: You have them to your and a lot of times, like the Great Comet or or Prom, there's people that are making their Broadway debuts, and a lot of it from an EPA or an ECC.

[55:08] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[55:09] Dustin Flores: Um so you don't need one. I I agree with you though, like when you're ready for one is when you get one, you know, like you have to be able to this is a terrible saying, and and people say it, and I don't really believe it, but like it's like we're we make 10%, so we're in theory should do 10% of the work, right?

[55:27] Dustin Flores: We should like um I don't agree with that, we do a ton of work, but like what I mean is like you can't just get an agent and sit at home exactly, waiting waiting for a price.

[55:36] Caleb Dicke: Exactly.

[55:38] Dustin Flores: Uh you're gonna eventually get to a place where that will be what it is, and you're turning things down, you're like, I don't want to do that, I don't want to leave town, I don't want I'm good, you know.

[55:47] Dustin Flores: But like in the beginning, you you have to do just as much work as you would do if you had an agent.

[55:52] Dustin Flores: And it's your work and your connections mixed with my work and my connections that make magic happen.

[55:58] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, totally.

[56:00] Dustin Flores: So I think but I think you're right. I mean, you don't don't do an agent showcase just because you want to get an agent 'cause you think you need one, yeah.

[56:06] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[56:07] Dustin Flores: Well, because I think, and I think this is a new like fairly new thing, this whole like class showcase kind of culture that the industry's in right now.

[56:17] Dustin Flores: Um it's you know, it's it's helped me.

[56:20] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, it's helped me, yep.

[56:22] Dustin Flores: And and but i again you have to like it's not there's not only one clear cut way, you know.

[56:27] Caleb Dicke: Exactly.

[56:28] Dustin Flores: And also like, you know, if you don't really get if you don't get an agent from your like college showcase or whatever or whatever, there's it's not like the end of the world.

[56:35] Dustin Flores: It's not. And it's also like, you know, a lot of times when colleges are showcasing, it's like we know what's coming in the next season, right?

[56:44] Dustin Flores: So if we don't have that, we're looking to check off certain boxes. We're looking to and so it doesn't mean that you're not talented or you're not or it just means that like I have three people that are just like you that I've been working with for the past three years and I'm gonna give them the attention.

[56:58] Caleb Dicke: You know, and like um so it doesn't mean that you did something wrong or you weren't like you weren't talented or someone else in your class was more talented than you.

[57:06] Dustin Flores: The other thing about the growing studio or or places like that is that if you don't come from an OCU or a Baldwin Wallace or a Michigan or a C CM or something like that, and you don't your school doesn't showcase in New York, you can come here and do a showcase.

[57:21] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[57:21] Dustin Flores: You don't have you know, you don't have to come from a fancy school that has a showcase that all the agents go to.

[57:26] Dustin Flores: You can come here and like work with casting directors for a couple weeks and then showcase as you would if you did come from a fancy school.

[57:33] Dustin Flores: Which they didn't have that when I moved here. You know.

[57:35] Caleb Dicke: Right.

[57:36] Dustin Flores: It's a different it's a different thing.

[57:38] Dustin Flores: Especially like, you know, so many schools have programs now, like there's a lot of really talented people and there's a lot of places for them to get even more talented.

[57:47] Dustin Flores: I mean, I've been reading, I mean, we don't really, as agents, we don't look at like the equity website or anything. That's not what we do, but I mean, I've been hearing from our clients about how crazy these open calls are and like these lines and these like I mean, it's just it's nuts.

[58:03] Caleb Dicke: That's the reason to have an agent.

[58:04] Dustin Flores: But you can a lot sleep in your best.

[58:12] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, for sure.

[58:14] Dustin Flores: Do you want to play the game?

[58:15] Caleb Dicke: I think we should play.

[58:16] Dustin Flores: Let's play the game.

[58:17] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[58:17] Dustin Flores: It's a two-parter.

[58:18] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[58:18] Dustin Flores: Usually it's only a one-parter, but this first one is called East Coast West Coast.

[58:23] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[58:23] Dustin Flores: So just like vote which one you think is better. If you want to give an example on why, you can be one too.

[58:29] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[58:29] Dustin Flores: But it's easy.

[58:30] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[58:31] Dustin Flores: So East Coast, West Coast, the weather.

[58:35] Dustin Flores: Ooh, that's hard because can I elaborate?

[58:38] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, totally.

[58:39] Dustin Flores: Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is an audio video. So I'm from Northern California, which has like, you know, it doesn't get as cold as it does here, but it also doesn't get as hot as it does in Southern California.

[58:49] Dustin Flores: So it kind of is just like brilliant weather. You still can have a coat at night but be in a t-shirt during the day. Um so New York, we all know New York weather fucking sucks, right?

[59:00] Dustin Flores: So it's the hottest of hots and the coldest of colds. It's just like so when I so I was here for like 18 years after I moved from California, and then I moved to California, Southern California to open our office in in uh in LA.

[59:14] Dustin Flores: And the first eight months, I was like, I don't understand why everybody doesn't live here. Like it's like living on vacation. Everybody is smiling, everybody feels like they don't have a care in the world, the sun is shining.

[59:24] Dustin Flores: And then after eight months, I was like, I need something different. Like I need a coat, I need like rainy day, I need uh how am I gonna wear this scar? It's like I got this really cute leather jacket that I can never wear. You know, you know.

[59:38] Dustin Flores: And I think to their defense, when I was there, it was like one of the hottest years ever. You know, you know.

[59:44] Dustin Flores: So like it was like 92 on Thanksgiving, which is just weird.

[59:47] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, you know?

[59:48] Dustin Flores: Yeah.

[59:49] Dustin Flores: Um, so I was so ready to come back, and I remember the first the first week or the first couple weeks I moved back here, there was like three nor'easters that we you know, and I was like skipping down the street.

[59:59] Dustin Flores: I was just like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now I'm like, okay, I'm ready for some heat again, you know.

[1:00:05] Dustin Flores: So I think that the brilliant thing about New York weather is that you're constantly appreciative of what you don't see.

[1:00:13] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, sure.

[1:00:14] Dustin Flores: Like right now, we're like, I can't wait for the sun, and then during the mid of summer, you're like, I can't wait for fall, you know.

[1:00:20] Dustin Flores: So I kind of like both, but I think I prefer New York.

[1:00:23] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[1:00:23] Dustin Flores: Okay, how about food?

[1:00:25] Caleb Dicke: New York.

[1:00:26] Dustin Flores: Great.

[1:00:27] Caleb Dicke: Um views, sites, tourist spots.

[1:00:31] Dustin Flores: I kind of lumped it all together.

[1:00:33] Dustin Flores: Yeah, uh, I still say New York.

[1:00:35] Dustin Flores: Um LA is very beautiful, and like the beaches are beautiful, and that it doesn't, it doesn't have I don't know who's listening to this, I'm sorry for all you people live in LA.

[1:00:44] Dustin Flores: Um, it doesn't have the culture that New York has, you know.

[1:00:46] Dustin Flores: I still think there's something about walking through Timesquare, even though it fucking sucks, but like it's why we came here, yeah, you know, and there's just beauty in this concrete jungle that you can't find anywhere else.

[1:00:56] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:00:57] Dustin Flores: Um fashion, like your wardrobe.

[1:00:59] Caleb Dicke: We kind of already mentioned a little bit about New York.

[1:01:02] Dustin Flores: For sure.

[1:01:03] Dustin Flores: LA is all about athleisure, right?

[1:01:05] Dustin Flores: It's all about shorts and tank tops, and girls are in um, you know, like Lululemon leggings with their Prada handbag.

[1:01:13] Dustin Flores: Here everyone looks like a little, there's like layers and leather jackets, and people put a little bit more time into looking like they're homeless.

[1:01:22] Caleb Dicke: You know what I mean?

[1:01:23] Dustin Flores: Yeah, like it's just a little more perspective.

[1:01:27] Dustin Flores: It's like they're fashion-y, like even when they're trying not to be, yeah, you know.

[1:01:31] Dustin Flores: Um, there it's just shorts. Like that's that's what it is.

[1:01:35] Dustin Flores: Shorts, and then like girls at night are in Bonnie Condresses, you know, the show off as much as we can.

[1:01:40] Caleb Dicke: Um but for my style, what I like with like a beanie and a leather jacket and like boots or whatever, it's very much more.

[1:01:48] Dustin Flores: Um transportation.

[1:01:50] Caleb Dicke: New York.

[1:01:51] Dustin Flores: For sure.

[1:01:53] Dustin Flores: I hate driving. I'm that's why I don't want to go to LA.

[1:01:56] Dustin Flores: Also, I didn't, we didn't get a car.

[1:01:58] Dustin Flores: So we like we just Ubered everywhere.

[1:02:00] Dustin Flores: Um, which also Uber in LA is so cheap, so it's much cheaper than it is here.

[1:02:07] Dustin Flores: Um and the thing about driving is even when I would drive with like friends get in their car or whatever, like you can get to your destination, you're gonna be late because of the traffic.

[1:02:17] Dustin Flores: Then you have to find parking.

[1:02:18] Caleb Dicke: Oh yeah.

[1:02:19] Dustin Flores: So like you drive around for 30 minutes to try to find parking.

[1:02:23] Dustin Flores: It's just so like Uber, you just get dropped off, you know.

[1:02:25] Dustin Flores: It was also I'm a drinker, so like I don't want to have to worry about not drinking where I go, you know.

[1:02:30] Dustin Flores: But that's the other thing that's kind of freaky about LA is that everyone drinks and drives, you know.

[1:02:35] Dustin Flores: So like it's weird because you'd be at a you'd be at like the Abbey or somewhere, you know, and I've like you've been with someone that has like three martinis, and they're like, Oh, I'm getting getting in my car.

[1:02:44] Dustin Flores: I'm like, I can barely walk, happy in the night.

[1:02:48] Caleb Dicke: But everybody does it, everybody does it because that's how they get around.

[1:02:53] Dustin Flores: Yeah, yeah.

[1:02:56] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, you might ride the train up and down the line with your beach, yes, you might.

[1:03:03] Dustin Flores: No one here has ever done that. No, um in the Bronx, and you're like, where am I? No one here has ever woken up at the beach on a day training. I definitely take when I used to live all the way up in Washington Heights, but no, no one is ever. I've definitely been on the A going uptown and ended up somewhere down, like all the way downtown. And I'm like, you know, it's a miracle that like I wasn't robbed or was still alive and I still have my cell phone and but yeah, completely passed out.

[1:03:30] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. If that had happened to me, I would feel grateful too. Um last one like expenses. Which one do you think is more expensive?

[1:03:41] Dustin Flores: New York.

[1:03:42] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:03:42] Dustin Flores: It is. LA is not as inexpensive as people think it is, you know, like it still costs money. It's just you get so much more for your money, you know. So like Charlie and I had this like beautiful, beautiful apartment with like a pool on the roof and a balcony and a washer and dryer, and like all the things that like New Yorkers are like that never happens. You know, um, and like getting the apartment was super easy, and they were like, oh sure, like and the deposit was $500 pro-rated like our first month's rent. I was like, no, actually I can give you more. Like where you, you know, like here you have to give your left arm and like all of your savings next to get like a studio apartment. You know. Um so New York is definitely way more expensive, but uh but LA can is pricey, it's just you get more for what your money.

[1:04:37] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:04:37] Dustin Flores: Okay. We're done with West Coast, East Coast, I think East Coast one though.

[1:04:41] Caleb Dicke: I don't know if you said one.

[1:04:42] Dustin Flores: Yeah, I think it was almost 100%.

[1:04:44] Caleb Dicke: Yes. Uh CrossFit yoga or berries.

[1:04:49] Dustin Flores: Ooh. So I don't do either all any of those. Okay. But where I um where my building has a gym in it. Um and they have a spin studio. So I'm a big cyclist, so I love indoor spinning. So I was doing a lot of um uh not SoulCycle, it's another one. Um what's that? It's also Peloton.

[1:05:16] Caleb Dicke: Oh you compete.

[1:05:17] Dustin Flores: Yes. A flywheel, flywheel, flywheel. Yeah. So I was doing a ton of flywheel. And then my when I moved back to New York, our gym has a spin studio.

[1:05:26] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[1:05:26] Dustin Flores: So it's not any, it's not SoulCycle or any of that, but I do that a lot. And then they also there's a studio that teaches like HIIT classes, which is like high intensity, whatever. So one of those things. I I'm scared of berries because it's a lot of running. It's a lot of running, but also I have a pretty like I injured my lower back like a couple years ago, and I'm just afraid that I will injure it again going that intense. Yeah, you know. Um, so I have to be like low impact too but so I'm I'm a I'm a I'm a cycler. I like to cycle.

[1:05:57] Caleb Dicke: I can't get into cycling. Like I have rhythm, but like I can't feel the rhythm while I'm riding. Like I can't just get into it.

[1:06:03] Dustin Flores: Interesting. But I like flywheel because it was just like ride as fast as you can. Yeah, and so what's we the thing about what I didn't like about cycle a lot of the times, I found certain certain um teachers that did like that, but I have to ride on the beat. Okay, for me, it's like inside, like when it's not on the beat, I'm like, I don't understand what you guys are doing. Um, I think I just feel like my feet my feet are always just gonna like fall like because I've had it before where my foot because it takes forever to hook in, yeah, and then it hooks out, and then I'm just like, oh gosh, like But you know what? I a lot of my friends that are dancers don't like cycling.

[1:06:38] Caleb Dicke: Okay.

[1:06:39] Dustin Flores: So I think it's a normal thing. It's just I'm not a dancer anymore, so like I've like, you know, I'm I'm I'm okay to be turned in, which is which is good for cycling, which you guys all like to turn out, you know. So um uh but yeah.

[1:06:52] Caleb Dicke: Um first survival job in New York.

[1:06:55] Dustin Flores: In New York. Um it was uh there was a coffee shop in Chelsea called the Big Cup. Um so I was a barista there. I did not know how to make coffee at all. Like I did and they were just like, I think they just hired young boys, you know, to be at the front. Um and so we were required to wear a tank top. And we like stood there and I made really bad lattes. Yeah, that was my first job. I was still at AMDA when I was doing it, but yeah, I love that.

[1:07:27] Caleb Dicke: Um for the Oscars, what's your best picture?

[1:07:31] Dustin Flores: Oh god. Um, so I know this is not popular, but I really I I don't understand why people hate on um A Star is Born. I loved it.

[1:07:42] Caleb Dicke: Did you?

[1:07:42] Dustin Flores: Yeah.

[1:07:42] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:07:43] Dustin Flores: I don't think that's an unpopular opinion, is it?

[1:07:45] Caleb Dicke: I but I everyone that I talk to who's like movie buffs are.

[1:07:49] Dustin Flores: Well, I think it's like I think you know, for lack of a better term, it's Star Has Fallen as as the front runner.

[1:07:56] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, yeah.

[1:07:56] Dustin Flores: Um with the awards. I don't think it's gonna win, but like I want it to happen. I don't want her to win, yeah. But I don't think she's going to. I think she'll win best song.

[1:08:03] Caleb Dicke: Yeah, Shallow Start show.

[1:08:04] Dustin Flores: Yeah, but I d I dev I saw um The Wife also and she That's the one I haven't seen yet. It's great. She's amazing in it. So like she deserves to be a good one. I'm getting on a plane, so apparently I've heard that that's the place to watch it.

[1:08:14] Caleb Dicke: Oh the kiss.

[1:08:15] Dustin Flores: Okay. It's um my husband would say uh Bohemian Rhapsody. He loved that.

[1:08:20] Caleb Dicke: I loved it too.

[1:08:21] Dustin Flores: Yeah, I did too. Yeah, I I loved all of them. I was like, these are all great. Like, um the ones that I have left to see are still Vice. I haven't seen Vice.

[1:08:27] Caleb Dicke: I saw that scrape.

[1:08:29] Dustin Flores: Yeah, and I really want to see that because I'm also like a political nerd. Um and I haven't seen um Black Panther.

[1:08:37] Caleb Dicke: Those are the two that I haven't seen.

[1:08:38] Dustin Flores: No, I we saw Black Plan's. We did see the news yet. Beale Street is not up for me.

[1:08:42] Caleb Dicke: No. Is it?

[1:08:43] Dustin Flores: Did you see that? Did you know I didn't. Did you see Moonlight?

[1:08:46] Caleb Dicke: I did.

[1:08:46] Dustin Flores: I loved Moonlight, and this one just fell a little bit short of that.

[1:08:49] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:08:50] Dustin Flores: I liked Bo. I loved Moonlight. I don't think it's as good as Moonlight, but I still I still enjoyed it. I just it thought it was so sad. I was thinking it's like a shoe in though for Mr. First Recording.

[1:08:58] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:08:59] Dustin Flores: Yeah. Um what's like a little daily victory? Like, yes, did this today, like that's all I need to get through the day.

[1:09:06] Caleb Dicke: Hmm.

[1:09:08] Dustin Flores: Waking up looks good. Um I think when I do, like, because a lot of times I have to be at work so early, so it happens at the end of the day when I actually get to take class. So by the time I'm done with work or going to see something or whatever, like to go downstairs at my in my building and actually take like a cycling class or get on the bike or whatever. Like I'm like, I did it for the day. Like I deserve a pizza.

[1:09:37] Caleb Dicke: Uh favorite restaurant in your neighborhood.

[1:09:39] Dustin Flores: El Centro.

[1:09:41] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:09:44] Dustin Flores: And also it's on the restaurant, but right behind it. Also, it's also in Central, but it's called Cantina. Have you been there?

[1:09:49] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:09:50] Dustin Flores: Love Cantina. I mean that I love that place. I live up so much of my money. But I l I live on 54th Street. So like it's right there.

[1:09:58] Caleb Dicke: Um, best part about being an uncle.

[1:10:02] Dustin Flores: Aw. Um, that I get to love on them so much and appreciate them and spoil them and then give them back. Yeah. I'm a recent uncle, but I haven't met the baby yet, so I'm just like seeing pictures. I just wanna like it's uh it's a thing. It really just like I don't know. I don't know if it's like the the like blood relation or if it's that because even if it was even if someone adopted, I don't think it would be any different, but it's just like holding them as they're so little and hopeless, and I don't know. I also remember Paula Poeta who used to be here? She um just had a baby, and so I've been spending time with them too, because all of my nephews and and niece are in California, so like and then Charlie and I went to uh North Carolina to visit his family for Christmas, and the two of his brothers both have kids now, both have little ones. So I've been around so many babies, so then when I got back, I was like, oh god, but now Paula has one, so like I'm able to like play with her uh Valentine's Day plans.

[1:11:02] Caleb Dicke: So we're going to uh Chicone's. Do you know Chicone's?

[1:11:05] Dustin Flores: Um it's an Italian restaurant in Dumbo. And we first went to it uh in LA. There's one in West Hollywood, and we love it because it like looks super fancy, but it's not fancy. Like if the price prices are not fancy, but it looks like it's where you want to be seen. Um and the food's so good. It's like it's sort of affiliated with the Sewell House, I think it's a good idea.

[1:11:26] Caleb Dicke: Yeah.

[1:11:27] Dustin Flores: Um so we have we have reservations next Thursday night there.

[1:11:30] Caleb Dicke: Okay. Last one.

[1:11:32] Dustin Flores: Um I can't believe this is my job moment. S watching um Ruthie accept the Tony Award. Sitting sitting there. And then that was like I had gone, I got married, and our honeymoon was in Miami, and uh I didn't know that we were gonna have someone nominated for Tony, obviously. So we had to cut our new honeymoon short. So I that morning we woke up, we went to like the pool really fast, and then got on the plane, got in a cab, and the cab like there was an accident. I couldn't get through the Holland Tunnel. We were supposed to have dinner, I forget, right across the street from Radio City. I was like, I'm gonna I'm gonna miss my suit I had or my tux I had worn to my wedding. So like it was at the dry cleaners.

So I had like 15 minutes before I had to get to uh to Radio City, and I got to my apartment. Charlie went to go pick up my tux. I even got the was when I had a buzz head, so I got the the razor out, I shaved my head again so that it was like put my tux on, got in a cab and got to Radio City, um, and then sat next to Ruthie, and then they called her name, and then she won. And I was sitting there like, I cannot believe this is my life.

[1:12:47] Caleb Dicke: Very cool.

[1:12:47] Dustin Flores: That's amazing.

[1:12:48] Caleb Dicke: Yeah. What a great way to end this great interview. So much for coming on the podcast.

[1:12:54] Dustin Flores: Thanks for having me.

[1:12:55] Caleb Dicke: It was awesome.

[1:12:55] Dustin Flores: Yeah, it was painless, right?

[1:12:56] Caleb Dicke: Oh, totally painless.

[1:12:57] Dustin Flores: I've never done that.

[1:12:59] Caleb Dicke: Never done a podcast, so I was like, should I be nervous?

[1:13:01] Dustin Flores: No, not at all.

[1:13:02] Caleb Dicke: Not at all. Um, where can people find you on social media if they want to follow you?

[1:13:07] Dustin Flores: So Dustin Flora's everything. So that's that's my Facebook, that's my Instagram, I don't have Snapchat. It's dangerous. Um I'm on Twitter, but I don't really tweet.

[1:13:18] Caleb Dicke: I just we don't tweet either, but if you want to follow us on Twitter, you can follow the podcast at Equity One underscore on Twitter and on Facebook and Instagram at Equity One Podcast. Uh don't forget you can check out our merchandise on Cafepress.com slash equity one.

[1:13:36] Dustin Flores: Yes.

[1:13:36] Caleb Dicke: Kayla, where can they find you?

[1:13:38] Dustin Flores: Uh Caleb Dicke la D. On everything.

[1:13:39] Caleb Dicke: Elliot, where can we find you?

[1:13:41] Dustin Flores: At Elliot Mattox and everything.

[1:13:43] Caleb Dicke: And until next time.

[1:13:44] Dustin Flores: Cheers.

[1:13:49] ♪ Musical number ♪