Adam & Noah Bremen Exemplify Their Family’s Inseparable Bond
Between Adam being born with cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair, or Noah’s recovery from his harrowing near-death experience, it’s clear that the unwavering zeal for life and immense success in business achieved by these brothers is due to their unshakable can-do attitude.
Tune in and enjoy this unbelievably inspiring episode, as we trace their journey from selling neon glow sticks at school parties to building invaluable business relationships and multiple thriving companies from the ground up.
Adam and Noah also describe what it was like growing up in a family that encouraged boldness, kindness, and the art of selling and marketing different trends.
Today’s episode is filled with engaging stories, trivia knowledge, and brotherly love. Please hit the play button at the top of the page and thank you for listening to today’s animated episode.
In this Episode
[00:58] Adam and Noah get interviewed together for the first time. Jason tries to guess who’s older and mentions how he prepared for the interview. Adam also shouts out their sister, Erin.
[02:24] Noah and Adam talk about their upbringing in West Bloomfield, and the large influence their parents had on their entrepreneurship. Adam explains how he saw his disability as an opportunity.
[05:03] Adam reminisces on the time he and Noah spent together as kids. Jason asks if they ever saw themselves in Hollywood. Noah recalls his MLB aspirations and ultimately leaving the game altogether during college.
[08:13] The trio shift the conversation to selling when Jason and Noah realize they both sold Blow Pops at their schools. The Bremen’s also outline the family’s sports merch operation. Noah also breaks down their company, bdirect, and its mission.
[13:02] Jason is curious how the brothers got involved in marketing. Adam shares what his passions were early on in life and the kindness and CanDo attitude his parents instilled in him and his siblings.
[17:16] Noah tells the harrowing story that left him in a coma, which led to the emergence of their brand, Keto Krisp, along with inspiring him to try and get in shape with Adam.
[23:43] Noah and Adam brief Jason that their Mom is currently living in Phoenix. They also give us more details about their new products and business philosophy.
[26:36] Jason believes the brother’s stories can be a competitive advantage. Adam opens up about his challenges to control his weight and surfing with Life Rolls On to improve his mental and physical health after losing his wife and their father to cancer.
[31:52] Adam and Noah get quizzed on Detroit Pistons history. They are impressed by questions like where they were originally located, which Pistons player had 250 blocks in a season, and which team they beat to win their first NBA Championship.
[37:45] Noah and Adam look back on how their father, Barry Bremen, became The Great Imposter. They discuss all the big events that their dad crashed, plus the fame, dangers, and opportunities that grew from his escapades.
[45:49] Jason, Noah, and Adam get the chance to connect further telling stories about their families, fears, cherished memories, celebrity sightings, and their father’s lasting legacy during today’s signature segment of “Hennessey Heart-to-Heart.”
[01:04:23] Adam shares his Instagram and offers listeners a 50% off promo code to try Keto Krisp and learn more at TasteCanDo.com. Noah, Adam, and Jason exchange thank yous and end today’s episode.
Transcript
Jason Hennessey: All right, Noah and Adam Bremen. Is that how you say your last name?
Noah Bremen: That’s it, “Breh-men.”
Adam Bremen: That’s it. Congrats.
I’m honored to have you both here. And from what I understand, this is the first time you’ve done a podcast together?
Noah: Yes.
Really?
Noah: Yes, that’s it. First time.
Adam: It’s great.
What? I’m honored. So, let’s get right into this.
First of all, I have two boys, they’re 21 months apart, right. And so, I’ve got JJ and Zach, so I’m curious who’s the older one?
Adam: Who do you think?
Don’t put me in this position. I’m going to say, Adam, you’re older.
Adam: Nope.
No?
Noah: Only by a year and a half.
Okay.
Noah: That’s good. I like this. We’re moving.
Adam: We’re moving.
Yeah.
Adam: I’ve got to get moving.
So, you’re Irish twins, basically.
Adam: Yeah. Yeah.
But you also have another sibling.
Adam: Yes.
Noah: We have a sister who’s another major hustler in Connecticut. Selling houses in Greenwich and in Fairfield, so.
Nice. And is she the youngest or where does she sit?
Adam: She’s the youngest.
She’s the baby sister.
Noah: Baby sister.
Adam: Yes.
Noah: That’s what you want.
Adam: Shout out to Erin.
Yeah.
Adam: We love you.
And I’ve got a daughter too, who is going to be well protected by her two brothers, for sure.
Adam: Of course.
So, I want to kind of get into this because you guys are very inspiring. I’ve looked at some of the information that Jenna has shared with me. I watched a couple of videos, and so, I’m prepared for this interview, so we’re going to bring it here.
Let’s talk entrepreneurship first, okay? So, who led the journey down the entrepreneurial path? Who was the first one to kind of be an entrepreneur?
Noah: Amongst us, or? I mean our dad…
Your dad?
Noah: …was the first one.
Adam: Yes, for sure.
Is that right? Okay.
Noah: So, my dad started Birchcrest Marketing back in the day, which was like, he was selling stuff to Kmart and I think-
Yeah, so I started out of college, started bdirect companies, which so- But my dad was the first one in our family to really say, “Hey, let’s do this. Let’s do our own thing.”
So now, was your mom actively involved in the business too, or?
Noah: My mom was “Super Mom.”
She was Super Mom.
Noah: Yeah. She was Super Mom. So, she was an amazing mom, so my dad could go and do- There’s a whole ‘nother story about my dad, but he could-
All right. We’re going to get into that. Yeah, I’ve seen some videos, for sure.
Noah: Yeah. So, my mom was just Super Mom, right, and at home and crushing it at home, so.
So now, growing up around the house, your dad’s in business and he’s in meetings and he’s probably in suits and stuff like that. Was that inspiring for you guys?
Adam: Of course, every day I loved it, looking at what he- He was always dressed to the nines with a suit and a tie because that was in back then. And it was just great. He had so much energy and so much passion. So much love for people. It was incredible.
And what was your dad’s name?
Adam: Barry.
Barry.
Adam: Yes.
Okay. And mom’s name?
Adam: Margo.
Margo. Got it. And so, where’d you guys grow up?
Adam: We grew up in a suburb outside of Detroit, West Bloomfield.
Okay. Got it. And what was school like for you guys?
Noah: I mean, school- Well, I thought I was going to be the next Babe Ruth or George Brett.
Oh, so you were a ball player?
Noah: Yeah. I was a baseball player. Quarterback in high school. So that was- We were big sports people in Detroit, we loved the Lions, loved the Tigers, loved the Pistons.
Huge Bad Boy- Growing up, Bad Boys were it. Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, all of that. We were huge, huge fans, so. Then, it was really about sports.
Sports.
Noah: Right.
Adam: I was just watching Noah’s every move and go to all his sporting events. Every activity I was there. I would do therapy to try to improve my physical ability, but really was involved in just-
I just wanted to be like everybody else. I wasn’t looking at my chair as a disability, I was looking for an opportunity just to be like everybody else and have fun.
Sure.
Adam: Yeah.
Now, was big brother a role model for you back then or what?
Adam: Absolutely, since day one. It’s really unique, the relationship between the two of us because it’s never been about competing because I’m his biggest fan and vice versa. Because we never competed, we always just cheered for one another. It was really the most special thing we could do.
I would love to go to his games, and every game I would go to and I would sit there, we’d drive in the car together, we’d talk about strategy, “How are we going to look at this? What are we going to do here?” And we’d pump each other up, listening to music, whatever it took.
And we were always together doing things, always.
And that’s a testament, I think, to the way you guys were raised, probably.
Noah: Oh, for sure.
Adam: Of course.
Noah: Well, listen. I mean, our parents were- We always had our fun, right, that’s one thing my mom and dad for sure preached to us as we were together, we were having fun, for sure, like laughing and- Do you know what I mean?
Obviously, there’s always some family moments, but like-
There’s always the drama.
Noah: Yeah, there’s always family drama.
This is more of the Facebook version of the show, right?
Noah: Yeah.
Adam: Our house was literally like Grand Central. Everybody would come over, watch the game, grab some food.
And then, my dad and me put somebody to work to help take out the garbage or something. But our house was lit. We’d throw the ball around, big yard, just do whatever.
So now, did you guys ever think in like 10th or 11th grade as you’re sitting there like, “Someday, man, we’re going to be sitting in a podcast studio in Hollywood, California“? Was this in the cards for you guys or what?
Noah: For sure.
Yeah?
Noah: Absolutely, yeah. No, I mean, listen, I think whether it was going to be- At that time I probably thought I was going to be in the Major Leagues, right.
Playing for the Dodgers, right?
Noah: Yeah. Playing for the Dodgers or whatever. But listen, we grew up with a can-do attitude for sure, like, “We are going to win, 100%.” So, whether we’re going to get into business or whether it’s going to be sports or whatever, we were for sure going to do something. I felt that way.
So-
Adam: What I felt was I was going to be traveling the world, or the US, watching Noah play baseball games, just in different stadiums.
Yeah. Huh?
Adam: That’s what I thought, just be cheering him on every day.
So what happened then? So, did you play college baseball?
Noah: Yeah, I played a little bit at Michigan State. And then it’s a long story, but I had a little issue with the coaches there. And then I was going to go to Arizona, I played for Pima Community College, it was a community college outside of University of Arizona.
And then just ended up having too much fun, and I ended up going back to Michigan State, but stopped- I fell out of love with baseball at that time. It’s a long-
I don’t know if you can get into it, but it was a long story. Back then, it was an interesting situation that happened, but yeah, it was definitely like a learning thing, but-
So, when I was like, I don’t know, maybe like 7 years, I was a baseball player too.
If my mom or somebody asked me, “So what are you going to do when you get older?” I’d be like, “Duh. That’s a dumb question. I’m going to be a professional baseball player, what do you think?”
Noah: Yeah. Of course.
And that was just it. But then my backup plan was selling lollipops in school, right. Blow Pops for a quarter.
Noah: Oh, I used to do that.
Did you?
Noah: Of course. 50 cents. Are you kidding me?
You were double the price of me.
Noah: Really? You were 25 cents. It’s unbelievable. 50 cents. I used to love selling.
That’s one cool- Our family, not just my dad, but our family, we would sell t-shirts at University of Michigan football games, we’d sell candy at school. We would-
Adam: Umbrellas.
Noah: We were constantly- Umbrellas.
On rainy days.
Noah: I’d sell neon glow sticks at Fourth of July parties. We were non-stop selling stuff. That was like growing up.
I think I’ve had a job since I was 10 years old, selling- You name it, we’re selling.
So, the whole entrepreneurship was ingrained in your DNA.
Noah: For sure.
Adam: For sure.
Noah: Selling stuff.
And even your sister, you said she’s selling houses?
Noah: Yeah. Selling stuff. That was kind of it. I don’t even know if we thought of it as like starting your own business, it’s just selling stuff, right. That was it.
Adam: I think just building the relationship with people and just love and having a great time, whatever it was.
So, let’s talk about selling stuff, right. So, fast forward now, it sounds like you both are on this entrepreneurial journey still.
Noah: Yep.
From what I understand, there’s multiple companies, right? So, maybe walk me through what bdirect is, first of all. What is that?
Noah: So, bdirect is like a holding company for a couple of different companies. One is Team Direct, of which Team Direct has 65 people, down on the ground in Bentonville, Arkansas; and works very closely with Walmart. It works with consumer brands to Walmart.
And so, Team Direct is all things Bentonville, Arkansas; and we are constantly looking for the next big brand to represent at Walmart. And so, we do- We represent some of the biggest brands you could possibly imagine and emerging brands, and bringing them to Walmart.
So, that’s a great business and a business- Team Direct’s been around for about 20 years and it’s been extremely successful and amazing, and very, very proud of that.
And there’s Vendo, which-
Yeah, I see the hat. Yeah.
Noah: Vendo, which started about 4 years ago with the- Amazon and marketplaces have been such a rise, right. So many people are trying to get on Amazon and not doing it right.
And Vendo really helps manage these up-and-coming brands on Amazon, and third-party marketplaces. And so, we have a team of now, I think 75, it’s a rapidly growing business that’s really doing great and really finding the best emerging brands out there.
Really.
Noah: And both of them really compliment each other because I look at bdirect, it doesn’t matter, the customer is the customer and they just want to shop where they want to shop.
And so, we’re building this platform of these emerging brands that they can reach customers in the way that they want to reach customers, and hopefully with experts that can help them and guide them through that life cycle.
So, if I develop this little widget here, which we walked in, it’s funny you grabbed that, I’ve got tons of these things, right, this little popper thing.
I develop a product like that. I reach out to somebody on the Vendo team, and you can help me with everything from the branding to the marketing to getting it- Tell me a little bit more.
Noah: Yeah. On something like that, right, so we’re talking about fidget spinners, right. That one, specifically, we would talk to Walmart because on Team Direct, we’re very in tune with what’s trending.
I see. Uh-huh.
Noah: And that’s a trend, not a brand. That’s a trend. And so, we would help. And what we’ve done in that category is we helped build a fidget-type set, and the client that we would work with, we would build towards that and discuss with Walmart, “Hey, this is now becoming a trend. This is something that we think there’s an opportunity,” and hopefully it does.
And so, we work with those manufacturers of getting them ready for Walmart, getting them logistically ready because at the end of the day, Walmart’s going to sell hundreds of millions of these things.
Yeah, they are.
Noah: Right? So you’ve got to be able to ship. You’ve got to be able to keep your- in stock because it’s real value.
On the brand side it’s different because, brand, you’ve got to keep your brand. So, pricing’s different, the thought process is different, keeping pricing from Amazon to Walmart is a different mindset. So, we hold brands’ hands on all of those functions.
I see. And how did you- We’re going to get into your story too because I see your hat here, but how did you even get into this whole world? Were you a student of marketing, or?
Noah: So again, back to our dad. My dad was a broker to Kmart-
I see.
Noah: And so, he was always going to trade shows. And so, when I was young, I would go to trade shows with him, and he would find- Some of his brands were like Famous Amos Cookies or Bicycle Playing Cards.
He would go and he would sell those things to Kmart. But he would go to the trade shows and try to find these emerging brands.
I got it.
Noah: And so, we learned from him.
Same thing, you were kind of going to the trade shows with Dad, kind of taking it in?
Adam: Yeah. I mean it was just great to be out there. I wasn’t involved day-to-day like Noah, but I was always a fan from the outside because of the travel and whatnot. It was a little bit more difficult for me to travel back then, but technology’s gotten so much better with the rental cars and the airplanes, it makes it a lot easier for me to travel and move around.
But I’ve always been in that industry or just in it because of them, like I said, being their biggest fans and just watching it.
Yeah.
Adam: It’s just great.
So, now going back to high school days for you, where did you envision yourself? I know you were going to travel the world and see your brother play ball, right.
Adam: Right.
But what other passions did you have back then?
Adam: My passion has always been connecting with people and just being out there having a great time, just focusing on what I could do, not what I couldn’t do. And that comes down to the CanDo brand and just being out there every day, enjoying life, doing whatever.
So, you just said something very telling, right, “can do.” Focus on what you can do versus what you can’t.
Adam: Yes.
So who came up with that? You?
Adam: Well, it’s been instilled with us from our parents. They always said- And I talk about this every day. When I was a young kid, I always thank so much that nobody put me in a corner. They knew that I was special not because I was in a wheelchair but because the heart and the way that I carried myself, and they gave me an opportunity.
And again, it was always about what I could do, “Let’s focus on what Adam can do and put him in a position to succeed just like Noah.” There was no limits and it wasn’t-
Noah got his driver’s license at 16, I got my driver’s license at 16. It was just one of those things.
Noah: You did crash that first day.
Adam: Thanks for bringing that up.
Noah: It wasn’t his fault, but it did happen. Someone tried to run him off the road. Can you believe that?
Oh my god, man.
Noah: Yeah. Isn’t that crazy?
And that’s-
Adam: Noah had to bring that up on the show. Dude.
Noah: I was supposed to be transparent on the show.
But hey, I’m a big fan of- it’s all about our perspective. Your mind is so powerful, and sometimes with paralysis analysis, you start to get in your own head and you start to believe that. And it doesn’t sound like that’s kind of in your thought process at all.
Adam: Never. And I’ve never one day felt bad for myself. And if people have the energy to feel bad for me, then they have the energy to make themselves feel better. And that’s what I want, honestly.
It’s not about me, it’s about us and how we can improve, and how can I help you become better? Because so many people have helped me throughout my life be the person that I am, and I’m always indebted for that.
Well, one thing I could tell, the moment that you walked in, both of you, was your energy level, it’s just contagious. It’s just very welcoming and friendly and it’s like, “I want to spend- I want to go to dinner with you and hang out with you.” Seriously, you’ve got that energy about you. Yeah.
Adam: Well, thank you. Again, we get it from one another. We feed off each other. Nobody gets more hyped than me and Noah and Erin, and of course we get that from our parents and our dad, he was the life of the party.
Every time he walked in, he had a gadget or something to give to somebody and a great smile and a great hug and a great story to share. It’s in our DNA, for sure.
So now CanDo, is this just a brand that just serves this merchandise or what?
Noah: No, CanDo is the company that owns “Keto Krisp.”
Noah: Right.
Okay. I see.
Noah: So it’s the CanDo company, and CanDo’s first product is “Keto Krisp.”
Is “Keto Krisp.” Okay.
Noah: Yes, which has been very successful, and you can see it at Erewhon and Whole Foods, and Walmart, and you name it, Sprouts, Costco. It’s really doing great.
@ketokrisp FIND US AT @Costco !!!!!! 🛒 #costcofinds #costco #keto #ketokrisp #costcobuys #costcodeals #lowcarb #lowsugar #greattaste #yum #healthy ♬ Swing Soon – Zero3 Music
And it’s only a couple of years old, right?
Adam: Yeah. It was launched in 2019. So, what is the secret to the success there? Do you know how hard that is to pull off?
Noah: Listen, we saw an opportunity. Adam, it’s a whole- I mean, we can get into a whole deep conversation on how it really started.
Well, let’s talk about that. Yeah. Okay, let’s talk about- So, what was the inspiration behind, not the CanDo, but the Keto bars and the Keto lifestyle? What was the inspiration?
Noah: I’ll tell you about it. Well, it’s a whole story.
Okay. Let’s get into it.
Noah: So back, 2016, we’re on top of the world, everything’s great. My now wife and I are having this amazing relationship. And I throw this party in Santa Monica. There’s about 80 people. It’s like an end of summer party, all white, amazing party.
And we go to bed after about a great night, probably about 3 o’clock in the morning. At 6 in the morning, we’re at our house in Santa Monica, a great area, and we hear a scream, death scream coming from the guest room.
And my fiancée or wife now, sorry, opens the door and goes, “What’s going on?” She goes, “Oh my gosh, Noah, someone’s at the door. Someone’s at the door.”
And she opens up the door, or I open up the door, and it’s somebody with a mask on, all covered up. “Someone’s in the house,” she’s screaming. And I just get up and I start punching this intruder.
Oh my god.
Noah: And it turns out he has a gun. And he shoots me.
Wow.
Noah: He shoots twice. One misses, one hits me in the stomach, and he leaves. Thank God, he leaves. And I’m like, “Oh my god, I’ve been shot.” And never thought in a million years that would ever happen. Your intensity is crazy.
And I get rushed to the hospital, get to UCLA, and they do a little bit of a procedure, but are like, “Hey, you’re lucky. This is a billion dollar shot, it missed everything,” kind of a thing.
Well, it turns out, you fast forward 10 days later, it didn’t miss everything, it hit my colon, and I was pretty much pronounced dead 10 days later. Get rushed to Cedars-Sinai, and this doctor saved my- got me back. I was in a coma for 7 days.
But when that happened, Adam, of course who’s my biggest fan, and obviously so close, was there. And so, I went through probably about 15 surgeries to resuscitate me, put my stomach back together, and all the different things, and Adam was there through all of it.
And I think I was in the hospital for like 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and then went back home, and I’m like, “Adam, you’ve got to stay with me.” Because there was still so much stuff, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t- So, here I’m in a wheelchair…
Wow.
Noah: ….next to Adam, who’s in a wheelchair. It was kind of an interesting twist. And through that time, Adam just obviously- It’s interesting because we spent so much time together as kids and then all of a sudden you become adults and you don’t spend as much time together. Well, all of a sudden we’re back together, which is cool, right.
Very cool.
Noah: And we had a friend and chef that’s like- Adam at that time was, I think, 75 pounds overweight. He went through some stuff that he was kind of dealing with and this moment really brought us together.
But I’m like, “Adam, you’ve got to get healthy. You’ve got to get healthy. You’re 75 pounds overweight. You’re now 40-something years old. Let’s go.” And we have the chef and we brought into his diet, the keto diet.
And so, that’s where the Keto Krisp bar kind of came because we started talking about all these different healthy alternatives and things out there, and keto was just becoming bigger and there was nothing great tasting.
And what year was this?
Noah: Like 2016-17.
2016-17.
Noah: Yeah, 2017.
Okay.
Noah: So, we started talking, we started tasting things and we started really ideating of what this bar could possibly be. And then, because you mentioned, we have friends in the industry like Anthony and others that because this is the business I’m in, I’m like, “Let’s create our own bar. Let’s create something.”
And that’s how it all started. So, it’s kind of a whole story, but we turned something that was extremely scary and negative, and something into a real can-do moment.
So, were you at that party that night?
Adam: I wasn’t. And it was funny, Noah called me the day of the party, he’s like, “Dude, you should fly out here. We’re going to have this great party. We’ve got this whole thing set up with the DJ.” And I’m like, “Dude, I’d love to be there. You’ve got to give me a little bit more time,” because he called me that afternoon and I’m like, “It sounds like a great time.”
And then I get this call at 7 in the morning, “Noah’s been shot.” “What do you mean been shot? Nobody gets shot. Oh my god.” So, we immediately go to the airport. I’m living in Phoenix. I’d just sold my house in Phoenix, I was in the process of moving to Miami, and get on a plane-
When you say “we.”
Adam: Me. Just me, sorry.
Okay. That’s right. I just wanted to know if anybody else was with you. Okay.
Adam: No, and head to the airport and trying to get a hold of Noah. I’ll never forget it. We’re walking to board the plane. I finally get a call, and just break down because I know he’s alive.
You spoke with him?
Adam: Yeah. I spoke with him. And immediately rushed to UCLA Hospital where he was and just really for the next year, didn’t leave his side, vice versa, so.
What an amazing brother you are.
Adam: Thanks.
Was Mom and Dad still around?
Noah: Our dad unfortunately passed away about 11 years ago…
Okay. I’m sorry.
Noah: …with esophageal cancer, which is crazy. But our mom is.
Your mom’s still around.
Noah: And my sister. Yeah. Yes.
Where was Mom at the time when all this was happening?
Noah: She lives in Phoenix.
So, she got there-
Noah: Yeah.
Adam: And then we both flew out together…
I see.
Adam: …to be with Noah. So, that’s how that happened.
Sorry about that. But it sounds like that was an awakening that brought you both together and made you stronger and started the business now. And here we are and you’ve got this product called Kredo Krisp.
Noah: Keto.
Adam: Keto Krisp.
Keto Krisp. Yeah. Uh-huh. And can I try one of these things?
Adam: Of course.
Yeah.
Noah: Well, you’ve got to try the newest flavor. It’s called Butter and Salt.
Butter and Salt.
Noah: Yes. Good catch.
Got it. Thank you. And so, who came up with the name?
Noah: That one I did, actually.
So-
Noah: My favorite guilty thing, I like anything with butter and salt, so I don’t know. Yeah.
It tastes like something healthy, but delicious.
Noah: Yeah. Yeah.
Butter and Salt. Thank you. And you said people can get this, Costco-
Noah: Well, this one, this particular flavor you can get direct-to-consumer and Whole Foods. We just did an exclusive launch with Whole Foods nationwide, so yeah.
It’s delicious, guys.
Noah: Thank you.
Well done.
Adam: Thank you.
And so, how many flavors are there with this?
Adam: Now we have seven.
Seven flavors, and you’re going to leave those here for me, right?
Adam: Of course, we are.
Noah: We’ve got boxes.
Oh, we’ve got boxes of them here?
Noah: Yeah.
Oh my god.
Noah: Oh yeah.
No, we will be sure to-
Adam: We always pass out bars. We have a motto, “Bars and miles. Bars and miles. Bars and miles.”
I love it. And so, you’ve got seven bars. Is the goal to continue to develop new flavors or new types of bars or where do you guys think you’re going to go with this?
Noah: Yeah. No, actually we’re in the process of launching a new cereal, which will be amazing. But yes, the goal is to continue adding flavors, adding maybe, functions. And then also other categories, so performance cereal, you’ll start seeing-
So yeah, we’re going for it.
Adam: We are big on innovation and always bringing the latest and greatest. And I think that’s just a great talent of Noah’s, is to really understand the market. And what I’ve really learned is how he just listens and is tuned in to what’s going on in the world, especially when it comes to CPG and understanding the customer. And we are obsessed with knowing our customers.
Well, do you know what? Sometimes people don’t just buy the- The product is amazing, but people like to buy stories and, right? And that is where I think you’ve got a competitive advantage here, right.
Noah: For sure.
From that incident, that happening, to you being, you said, about 40, 50 pounds overweight.
Noah: 65, dude. He was like double his size right now.
Is that right?
Adam: I ate myself.
Noah: Yeah. It was very unhealthy. It was-
So were you in a depressed state at the time?
Adam: Not at all.
No?
Adam: I didn’t do- I-
Noah: You were a little bit depressed.
Adam: Well, I lost my wife in 2015 to cancer.
Oh, I’m sorry.
Adam: So, yeah. And that was obviously very, very difficult.
How long were you married for?
Adam: We were married for 4 years. We were together for 7.
Okay.
Adam: And during that time we also lost my dad to cancer, as Noah said, so it was obviously a very difficult time.
But also, when you’re in a chair, you don’t move around as somebody that’s up walking every day, and then I just would eat whatever, I didn’t really have a discipline or a lifestyle about my eating. I would just eat whatever tasted good, pizzas, carbs, all you want, breads, whatever.
And then an opportunity- When I moved out to California, everybody said, “Adam, you’ve got to meet this guy, Jesse Billauer, he’s in a chair also. He’s got a great attitude like you. You’ve got to meet him.”
So I was like, “Great. I’ve got to meet this guy.” And he founded an organization called Life Rolls On, and it helps people with special needs surf. Well, I’m living in Southern California now, so you’ve got to try surfing, right?
Sure.
Adam: I’d never been surfing a day in my life, but I’ve always wanted to try new things because I think every day you want to try to make yourself uncomfortable because that’s how you improve every day. So I was like, “Let’s go for it.”
And so, it was June 1st, I think, 2019, and everybody came out. And it was such a great event. The people, the athletes were so excited just to get in the water and to just have that day, that was all to them.
And what was really unique is growing up, I loved watching Noah participate in sports, but on that day he got to watch me participate in my sport. And we were just so excited. It was just so awesome.
But also, it was then that the light bulb went off and I said to myself, “If I’m in better shape, I could do more of these activities because I love to be out there doing stuff.” Noah and my sister are my role models. They’re always skiing, working out, exercising. I’m like, “I’ve got to get my ass in shape.”
And that’s when I started really focusing on the lifestyle. And it really wasn’t keto right away. I just started looking at what I was putting into my body and taking out, and it was really based on the keto diet. And then we started looking at the space and really found, like Noah said, a real opportunity to do something great.
And so, it sounds like you had a good support system. That’s half the battle, right, is having the support system. It’s one thing- like husband and wife, if one person’s not on the program, it’s really hard for both people to get on the program.
So, it sounds like your brother, your friends, probably, all supported you.
Adam: And then I remember just being so disciplined because it worked, it was working. And I am so determined to win and to be successful and to be the best version of myself and nothing was going to stop me.
I don’t believe in not being able to get things done. There’s always a way if you have a will, and that’s just something I was born with.
And are you still surfing?
Adam: Yeah, when it’s available. They do 15 tour stops throughout the country. So, in June they have a couple of stops in Santa Monica, and so I’m definitely there all the time.
Noah: Adam actually won Life Rolls On Athlete of The Year.
Oh, you did?
Adam: Yeah.
Noah: If you ever want to see one of the best speeches you’ll ever see, he gave an unbelievable speech when he won the award. It was incredible.
Really?
Noah: Yeah.
Okay. Well, we’ll make sure that we link that.
Adam: I do have to say it was an incredible speech.
Noah: It was awesome.
Adam: I was so nervous because I’d never spoken in front of five people in my life. Then to give a speech in front of-
Noah: A couple of thousand.
Adam: They had a couple of thousand people, of all these people that are there supporting the event and donating money and their time and whatever. It was just-
Noah: It was a great event. It was awesome.
Adam: …it was a great event. And Jesse Billauer is an incredible man. And if people get a chance to check out his organization, Life Rolls On, it’s truly a game changer and a real passion for Noah and I, and for our company CanDo to be involved in.
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Noah: Yeah, CanDo gives a portion of its proceeds to Life Rolls On.
Oh, is that right?
Noah: Yeah. It’s a great organization.
Yeah. No, for those that are listening, check it out. What is it- How do they get to that?
Adam: LifeRollsOn.org
Life Rolls On. Got it. Good. So, I hear you both are Piston fans.
Noah: Yes. Yeah.
Adam: Die-hard.
Die-hard.
Adam: Although the last 10 years have been rough. Sure.
So, Jenna, our producer, came up with some questions. So we’re going to see how-
Noah: Let’s go.
…how much you know about the Pistons here. I don’t know if these are hard questions, easy questions. Jenna’s been known to come up with some tough ones, so we’ll go here.
So, did you know where the Detroit Pistons were originally located?
Noah: I believe it’s in Indiana.
That is right.
Noah: Yes. Like south-
Noah: Yeah.
Yeah. There you go. Number one. Got it right.
Noah: That’s a great question.
See?
Noah: Yeah.
Adam: Very good job.
Here’s a tough one, and it’s a multiple choice, but if you want to take a shot of guessing, we’ll go to that first.
What is the most points the Pistons ever scored in one game?
Noah: 145 points against Denver. Something around there. I don’t know if that’s the right number, but it’s against Denver, I think, Nuggets, I believe.
Adam: I think it is the Denver Nuggets.
Yep. You got that part of the question right.
Noah: I don’t have the right exact number.
Adam: I think it was a triple overtime game.
Okay. It had to be for this number. So, here’s the multiple choice: 159, 168, 186, or 173?
Noah: 168.
What do you think?
Adam: What are my choices again?
159, 168, 186, or 173.
Adam: 159.
The correct answer is 186 points.
Noah: Wow.
That has to be one of the highest scoring games ever, I would imagine.
Noah: Sure. It has to be.
We’ll have to check that record there.
Which Piston player is featured in a Super Nintendo game called Combat Basketball?
Noah: Dennis Rodman.
That’s one of the choices. Bill Laimbeer, Isaiah Thomas, or Mark Aguirre? Is that how you pronounce his last name?
Noah: Aguirre.
Adam: Mark Aguirre.
Aguirre. Okay.
Adam: I’d say Bill Laimbeer.
Noah: Bill Laimbeer.
You got it right.
Noah: Yes. Good job, Adam.
There you go. Who did the Pistons defeat to win their first NBA Championship? It’s either Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, San Antonio Spurs or Portland Trail Blazers.
Noah: Lakers. Sorry.
That’s right. You’ve got it right. So far you guys are like 4-for-4. Who is the tallest player in the Piston’s history? William Bedford, Boban Marjanović, I don’t know if I slaughtered that name or not, Chuck Nevitt, or Primož Brezec?
Adam: I’m going to say Chuck Nevitt.
You got it right. 7’5″.
Noah: Wow.
Adam: We actually met the guy. Very nice.
Did you really?
Adam: Yeah, he’s very nice.
You look up to him like that.
Noah: Oh yeah.
Which Detroit Pistons coach has the highest winning percentage?
Noah: Hopefully, Chuck Daly.
It’s either Chuck Daly, Flip Saunders, Larry Brown, or Rick Carlisle.
Adam: I’m going to say Chuck Daly.
That one you both got wrong.
Noah: Really?
It’s Flip Saunders.
Adam: Really?
Noah: That’s weird.
Yep. Highest winning percentage.
Adam: How long was he- he wasn’t the coach-
He won 176 games in 3 years and led the team to the playoffs in Motor City.
Noah: Wow. That’s interesting. Wow.
Adam: I didn’t know that.
Who was the first Piston with more than 250 blocks in a season. Bob Lanier, Ben Wallace, Terry Taylor, Andre Drummond?
Noah: Bob Lanier.
Ben-
Noah: Wallace. Wow, Wallace was great. That’s awesome.
Adam: These are great trivia questions.
Noah: That’s a good one.
She’s good.
Noah: Yeah. That’s a great one.
Who is the first Piston to win Rookie of the Year award? Dave Bing, Don Meineke, Grant Hill, or Isaiah Thomas?
Adam: I must say Dave Bing.
Don Meineke.
Noah: Wow. That’s a good one. That’s way back then.
Anyway, which Piston holds the NBA record for the most missed free throws in a game? Isaiah Thomas, Andre Drummond, Jerry Stackhouse, or Otis Thorpe?
Noah: Andre Drummond?
That’s right.
Noah: There you go.
There it is.
Noah: He wasn’t great.
Do you know how many- This is a trivia question. So, Shaq missed free throws, right, that’s what he was known for.
Noah: Yeah.
Guess how many three-pointers he ever made in his career?
Noah: Two.
What do you think?
Adam: One.
That’s right. Just one. It was like a game buzzer beater and just kind of threw it up, and that was the only three-pointer.
Adam: That was a game winner?
I don’t know if it was a game winner. I don’t think it was a game winner. It was maybe like a halftime kind of shot or something like that.
Noah: Let’s talk about our hustle mentality and leads to the Pistons. My dad’s- Well, our friend, whose name is Billy Berris, created “The Bad Boys,” The Bad Boy t-shirts and all that stuff.
And so, I actually worked in the t-shirt facility, and we would make the t-shirts, and I would go sell them when The Bad Boys were super hot.
Really?
Noah: Yeah.
Huh.
Adam: It was huge.
Noah: Yeah, it was huge back then.
Adam: Huge.
Interesting. I didn’t even know about that.
Noah: The Bad Boys.
I kind of know that. I grew up in- New York is where I grew up, so I was kind of watching.
Noah: Well, we beat the Knicks.
Yeah, you did.
Adam: We had battles with the Knicks.
Noah: Major battles with the Knicks.
Oh yeah, you did.
Adam: Charles Oakley. John Starks.
Starks was amazing.
Adam: Of course, you had Patrick Ewing.
Uh-huh. I remember I used to wear my Patrick Ewing sneakers…
Noah: Oh yeah.
…back in those days, right.
Noah: The Knicks were unreal. That was great.
Yep. Spike Lee would be walking on the, right?
Adam: He’s still walking on the sidelines.
So, before the show, Jenna included a video of your dad.
Noah: Yeah.
An interesting guy.
Noah: Very interesting.
Yes.
Noah: Yeah.
They call him what?
Noah: The Great Imposter.
The Great Imposter.
Noah: Yeah.
So what was that all about? Was your dad like a practical joker? I’m curious. Walk me through that..
Noah: Yeah. I think like me and Adam said, my dad was the funniest guy, just a complete character. 6’4″, handsome, just super confident, super friendly. But if there was a joke or something funny, he was like, “All right, let’s do it.” It was game on.
Committed.
Adam: And he would always have products, “Here try this, try that.”
Noah: Yeah, but just when The Great Imposter, he was like someone dared him to do something.
Is that it? That’s all it takes, right?
Noah: Yeah. Someone dared him to, at the time, do- The NBA All-Star Game was coming to Detroit, and he’s a big sports fan. And he was at a game and, it’s a long story, but he ends up getting the Kansas City Kings‘ uniform, which was hard to get back in those days, you couldn’t just go to the store and buy a jersey.
So, he ended up getting the Kansas City Kings uniform, and one of his buddies bet him $300 that he couldn’t make a layup during the NBA All-Star Game. And he’s like, “All right.”
He took it seriously and he knew somebody in the Pistons organization that could sneak him down into the locker room. And so, they snuck him down-
He gets dressed up.
Noah: And he gets dressed up and he’s 6’4″ and he’s got a big fro. And so, he sneaks into the line where the players are and next thing you know, he’s making layups. He’s making layups, he’s taking jump shots and the players are like, “Who is this guy?” And they were like, funny, they were cool.
And he was there, and next thing you know, The Great Imposter became like a thing. And Brent Musburger ended up catching him during half time of that game, and then he gets taken out and whatever.
But the news media caught onto it, and next thing you know he’s on Letterman, he’s on Johnny Carson, and they’re like, “What are you going to do next? What are you going to do next?” And so, that’s where The Imposter started.
Noah: So, yeah.
And he’s done a lot of things, not just that.
Adam: I’m thinking about what, maybe 15?
Noah: 15 to 20. I mean, every sporting event, every event he did the- One of the funniest ones was he actually accepted an award at the Emmys.
We’re at the Emmy Complex here, right.
Adam: Yeah. There we go. He was so funny.
Right.
Noah: Yeah. So, he was here and he put on a- he had the pink tuxedo and his favorite show came on, I think it was Mission: Impossible. And I can’t remember who, Betty Thomas from Hill Street Blues was not-
People didn’t stand up. She gets announced and my dad goes up and accepts the award. And she ends up being there. And-
She was there.
Noah: She was there and my dad ended up getting thrown in jail, but it was on live television. And it was a really-
How old were you guys at the time?
Noah: I was probably like 12.
So you’re watching this?
Noah: I’m watching on TV.
Are you serious?
Adam: We’re like, “Come on, Dad. Do it. Do it.”
Noah: Yeah.
Adam: Yeah.
And you knew he was going do that?
Adam: Yes.
Noah: Yeah, we knew.
Adam: I’ll never forget it. We were watching the TV. We were like, “Dad, this is your chance. Here we go.” Because my dad had third row, Betty Thomas had eighth row. And nobody really screamed for her. So, my dad-
Back then they didn’t announce whether or not you were going to be there. So, my dad had a quick second to decide whether or not he was going to go up there. And he went up there and as he was giving his speech, she shows up and he just felt terrible and tried to apologize and go on TV, but she would have none of it.
And my dad felt terrible, and wrote her letters and whatever. But it was a great-
Noah: It was funny.
Adam: It was funny.
It was funny.
Noah: Listen, my dad did these stunts and back then the athletes would actually help, they thought it was hilarious. So, George Brett became a really good friend. He was at the All-Star Games with him, shagging flies, being a part of the team there.
He was in the Super Bowl. So, we had the Super Bowl here in LA. My dad snuck into the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
You would think they are onto this guy at some point, right.
Noah: He was a referee. And it’s hysterical, if you ever watched the video, it’s really funny. He’s in the middle, the game’s about to kick off, and my dad’s with the referee saying, “Hey, I got all the rules. I got everything down pat.” And they’re like, “Who is this guy? What is this guy-” But he was a larger than life character, for sure, and so-
He was a cheerleader too-
Noah: A Dallas Cowboys‘ cheerleader.
A Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader. [laughs]
Noah: I was there. I’ll never forget. Because being a young kid and I was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, who didn’t like the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. And next thing you know, we had a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in our house.
My dad’s shaving his legs. He’s got fake breasts on. Dancing, doing the whole thing in our house. And yeah, he impersonated a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
So what was your mom thinking like with all these stunts?
Noah: I think in the beginning she thought it was hilarious. And then as we got older and our dad was getting thrown in jail every other day, that was kind of like, “Okay, this is enough. We don’t need all this.”
There was like a good period of time where he was pretty famous. We’d be in Detroit, and he was like a Detroit- like autographs and the whole thing, and he was giving speeches, and he was like a well-known guy in Detroit, so that’s cool.
Adam: Yeah, it was great.
Noah: Yeah. It was really cool. For the kids, it was really cool. Especially Adam and I being sports fans, how cool is it? We’re being invited to the locker rooms-
Adam: We got a chance to meet Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Noah: Larry Bird. Magic. Every locker room, they would all hang with us and we would-
Adam: Take pictures.
Noah: They all loved my dad, he was-
Sure. He made people laugh, right.
Noah: He made them laugh and they wanted to help him because they thought it was really funny.
Yeah.
Adam: And he was an incredible guy. You could not love this guy.
So who’s going to take the torch and become the next Imposter. At least one of you.
Noah: No, no. Listen, me and Adam have snuck into a bunch of events.
Again.
Noah: Yeah. So we won’t do it as like- Me and Adam snuck into the Super Bowl.
Did you?
Adam: Of course.
Noah: We snuck into the Grammys. We snuck in, no ticket, no problem. We’ve snuck in. Trust me, it does not- We will sneak in anywhere.
See.
Adam: I bring my own seat.
Noah: Yeah.
Yeah, you do.
Noah: National Championship football games. I mean, there’s not an event that we probably haven’t snuck into.
Making your dad proud.
Adam: Yeah, of course.
That is so awesome, man. I love that. Someone like Borat, some of the stuff he pulls off, it’s so funny to watch.
Noah: It’s awesome. It’s hilarious.
Adam: And that’s part of the fun of it, the rush.
And he was just kind of being himself, right.
Adam: Yes.
Noah: It’s so funny, when I first moved out to LA, it’s kind of funny, so I don’t know if you know this, Adam, we were offered to do a reality TV show. This was like the beginning of reality TV shows.
Me and my dad, where my dad was going to be like, “All right, I need you to sneak-” Plan this whole sneak thing where my dad was going to tell me how to sneak into something. And then I was going to go do it and they were going to videotape it. And it was going to happen. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why it fell through.
That would’ve been great.
Noah: It would’ve been hilarious. This is like 25, 30 years ago. This was-
And it could have been every episode was going to be you doing something different, right?
Noah: Probably getting beat up. I mean, who knows?
Adam: It would’ve been funny. Yeah.
I would’ve totally watched that show. Well, it sounds like you guys had an amazing set of parents, an amazing childhood. That’s really, really awesome.
We do this thing, it’s called “Hennessey Heart-to-Heart,” where we just ask some questions and the first thing that comes to mind, you guys just kind of say, and we’ll just kind of go with it.
So, I’ll ask the first question, is: when have you felt your biggest adrenaline rush?
Adam: For me, it was when I gave that speech for Life Rolls On. It was just incredible because I had no expectations, I wanted to do a great job. I was so excited and so honored to be part of such a great group and just wanted to represent myself well and represent the family well. And so, yeah, for sure.
How about you?
Noah: I think having my son, actually.
Oh yeah?
Noah: Yeah. The second he came out, I think was definitely-
Adam: It was awesome.
Noah: Yes.
Something that you just can’t explain, right, seeing a child being born.
Noah: Yeah. I think after getting shot and going through that, the one thing I didn’t accomplish in my life, I didn’t have kids and a family yet. And I remember thinking that was a miss.
And so, when he came out, I just was like, that was it.
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And what’s your son’s name?
Noah: Bond.
Bond.
Noah: Bond Barry Bremen. Triple B.
I love it. And you have another one on the way?
Noah: Yes. Two months.
Congratulations.
Noah: Bella Aspen Bremen coming.
Bella?
Noah: Yeah.
I love it.
Noah: Bond and Bella. Yeah.
See, keeping the B thing going.
Noah: Of course.
My daughter’s name is Brooklynn. She’s five.
Noah: I love that name. That was on the list of possibilities.
Was it?
Noah: Yeah. BB.
She’s the most amazing thing.
Noah: That’s cool.
What would you say is your most cherished childhood memory?
Adam: Just being with our family, honestly, doing things together was the greatest for me. I loved every minute of being with family. It’s great.
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Whether it was a trip, instead of having a big bar mitzvah party, I wanted to do a big family trip. So, we actually took a trip. We started in San Francisco, drove all the way down the coast to tour LA. Got Laker tickets because it’s iconic, when you come to LA, you’ve got to go to a Laker game. And just being with the family is just awesome.
It’s interesting that you say that because this summer we were going to go to Jamaica or something with the family and take a trip. And my boys are in high school, right. And you only have so many more of these trips as a family.
So instead of going to Jamaica, I called like an audible, I’m like, “We’re not going to do that. We’re going to fly to Chicago,” because the family has never been to Chicago and they’ve never eaten deep-dish pizzas or anything like that.
So we flew in, we spent about four days on Michigan Avenue hanging out in Chicago, eating good food. And then we actually rented a car and we drove up through- we went through Wisconsin, we did Minneapolis, we did the Mall of America.
While we were in Milwaukee, they had the NBA Finals there. And so, we actually went.
Noah: That’s awesome. That’s cool.
Me and my one son went to the game. That was awesome.
Adam: Wow. That’s awesome.
Noah: That’s always good.
And from there then we ended up in South Dakota and we got to see the monument there.
Noah: That’s a good trip.
Adam: That’s great. That’s awesome.
It’s all that matters. That’s what you live for, is creating the moments and the experiences and the stories, right. Not so much about the monetary things and stuff. That’s all cool. But it’s all about the experiences.
Noah: Absolutely.
What would you say your most cherished childhood memory is?
Noah: I’m trying to think my most- I think, again, it comes back to the family. I mean, it was an everyday occurrence. So I don’t know, it was such a great experience growing up. So I can’t say it enough, we really had a special bond as a family.
And not just our immediate family, but our cousins and-
Oh, so you had a pretty big family there?
Noah: Yeah. It was such an amazing family that I think we all learned from each other. We’re all still very close and do business things together.
So, I think- It was like an everyday thing, right. Whether our grandpa would come over on Sundays, those type of things. And sports was such a big place. All of it was a big part of our-
Adam: Just living every day.
Yeah. Do you guys get back home often?
Adam: At least once a year.
You do?
Adam: Yeah.
Yeah. Huh. And you’ve got all the cousins and relatives and stuff that kind of get together there.
Adam: It’s great to see everybody, of course.
Got it. What’s a goal of yours you’d like to achieve in the next five years?
Adam: Great question. Just from a business standpoint, we really want CanDo and Keto Krisp to be a household name, and whatever other brands that we create under the CanDo platform. It would be fun.
I love- Nothing more makes me excited than visiting with the customers, talking to them about the brand, the story, getting them excited, me showing the excitement.
And just doing it with Noah has been- I’ve always wanted to be in business with Noah. And to have the opportunity now to do it and to do something special for ourselves and for our teammates is really, really cool.
So, just continue to grow that and just continue to live life and see my nieces and my nephews grow up and continue on those great traditions that we had growing up as kids.
Well, it sounds like you started this company in 2019 right before the pandemic and you’ve already got them in Costco and Sam’s Club and all these other places. That’s amazing. So it sounds like you’re going to be living the journey here. Yeah.
And what about you, five years? Goal.
Noah: I think for business, I think my goal, honestly- So, we’re building something called “Platform,” which is kind of taken over bdirect. But we now have 150 unbelievable people that work on our team, and I’d love to see that continue.
I think we do such a great job of- From a business standpoint, we have such great passionate people that really help brands and entrepreneurs achieve their goals. And I love seeing it because that’s something I just grew up doing, like we said. So, I want to continue that, multiply it and continue that from a business standpoint.
From a family standpoint, we have another one on the way and I think to continue the legacy that we grew up on, hopefully continue that legacy throughout everything I do, and we do. Yeah.
So, my day job, this is not my day job, but my day job, I have an agency as well, digital marketing agency, we have about 150 people. And so, part of our vision is to try to set up our team and try to get them to accomplish some of their bucket list items too.
Noah: That’s awesome. That’s great.
It’s just a great feeling when you can kind of help other people accomplish some of their dreams.
Adam: Best feeling.
Ain’t it?
Adam: So great.
Yep. Do you believe in déjà vu or is it just a coincidence?
Adam: Good question.
Noah: I do. Yeah, I believe in déjà vu.
Absolutely.
Noah: Yeah.
Yeah?
Noah: Yeah. Of course.
What is your greatest fear?
Adam: I don’t have a fear.
No fear?
Noah: Really?
Adam: No.
Noah: Come on.
Snakes?
Adam: Oh, probably skydiving.
Skydiving.
Adam: You won’t see me jump out of a plane.
Okay.
Noah: Unfortunately, I’m a terrible flier. And so, that’s like my biggest fear. I don’t know what it is, that is my biggest fear.
It’s like getting on an airplane, or flying an airplane?
Noah: Turbulence. I don’t know. It sucks. I fly all the time, but I’m a terrible flier-
Interesting.
Noah: So, that’s my biggest- I think it’s a lack of-
So you’re a pilot.
Noah: No, I’m not a pilot.
Oh, you’re not.
Noah: No, I’m saying I fly on planes all the time.
I got it. I was going to say-
Noah: But not good to be flying a lot and being afraid. It’s not my-.
That’s your thing. I was going to say, that’s something I don’t trust myself. I would never trust myself with my own life in a plane. I’m the same way, man.
Noah: Yeah. So, that’s probably my biggest fear.
Yeah. If you can change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Adam: That’s a great question. I think it’d be cool to walk.
Yeah. Huh?
Adam: Not that I don’t love who I am, but it’d just be cool. It’d be easier. I could play basketball. It’d be fun.
Noah: That’s a good one.
That is a good one.
Noah: Yeah. Trying to think. I don’t know. That’s a good question. That’s a great one.
When you have to kind of go do some soul searching there.
Noah: Yeah, I’m going to have to do some soul searching, for sure.
Adam: This guy’s perfect, he don’t-
Noah: No, no. I’m far from perfect.
Adam: He doesn’t need to change. He doesn’t need to change one thing.
Noah: No, I can change for sure.
What’s the greatest struggle you’ve overcome?
Adam: I don’t look at it as a struggle, I look at it as an opportunity.
That’s a good response.
Adam: And just in dealing with life from this unique situation. And again, like I said before, I don’t want anybody to feel bad for me because I don’t feel bad one bit.
I love who I am and what I stand for. And I love being in the chair and showing people that life can be great, even with challenges. And turning challenges into opportunities is really great.
And I can’t thank people enough and our team and everybody and my brother, and my sister, family, cousins, everybody, you, this whole team.
What about you?
Noah: No, my biggest struggle obviously was after getting shot.
Tragedy.
Yeah. That was that tragedy. Listen, it was probably the biggest struggle, but then it turned out to be the biggest gift.
And do you ever have, like, post-traumatic stress about that or what?
Noah: Yeah, a little bit. I think being in big crowds. I used to be extremely just naive around people, and now I’m a little bit wary of people, especially strangers and certain things for sure. There’s definitely a lot of that. So, yeah-
Anything weird like waking up, like nightmares or anything like that?
Noah: More of being in certain crowds and areas.
I see.
Noah: I think that affects me and it’s weird. I have these weird throw ups and I think it stems from a mental thing that I’ve never had before. And I’ve done all these physical tests and it’s not that. So, I think there’s definitely some anxiety from just that, right.
Let’s see here. Have you ever seen something you can’t explain? Get you deep, deep thinking here.
Adam: I guess the love and respect that I have for this guy.
That’s a good answer. Yeah.
Noah: That’s a good answer. No, like a UFO.
Giving birth, right. That’s something you can’t explain.
Noah: That is something I can’t explain. Yes. That feeling, like I said before, was at least for me, because I started late, I was wild and pretty crazy back in the day and to have that and have it hit me the way it hit me, was for sure, something I couldn’t explain.
What’s the most memorable only-in-Hollywood kind of story that you’ve got?
Adam: That’s a good question. I think- Let me think. Noah, answer it for me.
Noah: I’ve got a bunch.
Oh, yeah. Right.
Noah: I’ve got a bunch. I don’t know, I’m trying to think. I was at the Cannes Film Festival, and firing all night with Mick Jagger was probably a good night.
What?
Noah: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. But I can’t repeat all the things that was going on, but we had- Yeah, I think that was probably one of the fun ones.
Mick Jagger. So I’ll-
Noah: Mick Jagger amongst others, but he was just one of the coolest guys.
So, my old business partner, his brother is married to Mick Jagger’s daughter…
Noah: Oh wow.
…Karis Jagger. And so, we came out to LA, and he’s a big director and everything, and we were staying in his house because it’s his brother, right.
And so, you’re walking around and there’s photos of Mick Jagger with the kids and at the wedding. And that was kind of surreal. That was definitely an only-in-Hollywood experience for sure.
I’ll make this easy, who’s the most famous person you’ve seen in Hollywood?
Adam: That’s a good question. I know Noah has the answer.
Noah: Well, no. Adam, you’ve seen a million celebs. What is wrong with you?
Adam: Larry David was really cool.
Noah: Oh, you met Larry David?
Adam: That was great.
Noah: Really?
Adam: Noah and I were having dinner at Nobu. Usually you see celebs walk in and out and you just want to let them do their thing. But Noah and I were eating and we were like, “We’ve got to go up to him. We’ve got to-”
Noah: What do you mean? He went up to you.
Did he?
Noah: Yes.
Adam: But no, we were sitting at the table, we saw him leave and we both went out to get the cars. And I said, “Larry, it’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for giving everybody so much entertainment throughout the years.” And I said, “My name’s Adam.” And he is like, “It’s nice to meet you, Adam.”
And we started talking and he’s like, “Did you see the episode with Wendy Wheelchair?” I don’t know if you watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, but it’s a great show where he dated somebody in a wheelchair.
And he asked you that?
Adam: Yes. And he’s like, “So how did it go?” And he’s like, “What are you thinking?” I thought it was hysterical. We just had a moment. It was so funny.
Really?
Adam: It was just so cool. And he was just so down to earth and we’ll never forget that.
That’s awesome.
Adam: It was awesome.
So, I’ve got two. So, we just moved to California right here in Toluca Lake. We walk into this restaurant. There’s nobody in there, it’s like 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Just me and my wife and my two boys at the time, my daughter wasn’t born.
We walk in and immediately, once we walk in, I look up at the table, I’m like, “Holy shit. That’s freaking Jay Leno, just sitting here, eating in this restaurant with nobody else.” And so I’m like, “Keep your cool, guys. Just sit down.” Obviously, the boys don’t even know who the heck that is, right. My wife does.
So, we sit there and we eat. And we don’t want to bother him during dinner, but then he gets up and he walks over to the table, and he is the nicest guy. Yeah, he took a photo with us. And so, that was really cool.
And then another time, my son was an actor, and still is an actor. And so, we were in Beverly Hills and we walk into this coffee shop and we’re just sitting there and I just look up and I’m like, “Jack, look.” And he’s like- And it was freaking John Travolta.
Adam: Wow.
Noah: Wow.
John Travolta in a coffee shop. He was sitting down having a meeting with his wife at the time and a couple of other people. And so, my son gets ready to go run. I’m like, “No, no, no. Don’t interrupt their meeting.”
And so, they get up, they get finished. And of course my son goes running right to him because he recognizes him from so many movies. How do you not recognize John Travolta?
And he was like the nicest guy. I was getting my phone already to take a photo and bobbling it. John’s like, “Relax, relax. It’s cool, man. Nice to meet you. I’m John.” And he spent like 20 minutes just talking to us.
Noah: That’s awesome.
Such a cool only-in-Hollywood experience. Here’s one. What drives you the most?
Adam: That’s a great question. Noah, do you want to answer that?
What drives you? What gets you up in the morning?
Noah: I mean, love of what I do. I do love, I truly enjoy what I do. And I think there’s always a fear of failure, you never want to- There’s always something that I just want to make sure you’re- especially being a competitive person, the ability to win in life, right. So, I think there’s definitely that.
Adam: I would say the same and I just, I love life and I love to be a part of it and I’m grateful for every day. I just want to make an impact. And now that we’ve got this company together and the employees and the people that bust their butt every day to make everything go, it’s all for them. It’s a great thing.
And final question here. So, if your dad is looking down on you right now, what’s the single most thing that he’s most proud of you for?
Noah: I think us together, doing something great.
Yeah?
Noah: Yeah. And having fun. And the people- He would love our teammates. He would love our teammates, right. We have great people and I think he would just get a kick-
Well, I know he would because some of the business I had started when he was here and there’s a lot of teammates that we have that just absolutely loved my dad and he loved them.
And so, he would just be proud of what we’re doing for sure, and the people that we’ve hopefully attracted and are part of the journey. I think he would be pumped. He’d be smiling for sure, on that.
Adam: I know that he would love to hand out bars and, “You guys got to try this, it’s going to be great! You’ll love it!” Whatever it is, he would be just so excited. So, it would be great. I mean, it just-
I was walking through the trade show the other day, and our dad loved to go to trade shows. Nothing got him more excited and pumped up to see the new brands, just the energy of the room. It’s cool. And I know he’s all around and it’s just incredible.
We’re here at the Emmy building.
Noah: Oh, he’s here for sure. That’s his-
We’re here at the Emmy building right now. Such a coincidence.
Noah: So, this is the Emmy building right there?
So, this is the Emmy complex here. Now, I don’t know where they did the Emmys back then, it could have been at the Kodak Theater or anything, but this is where all the Emmy decisions are made and they’re like, “Hey, we do not want anybody coming in and accepting any awards.”
Noah: That’s really funny. That’s awesome. That’s really cool.
Well, here’s a little Emmy trivia. So, before my dad, people would have people coming in and accepting an Emmy for them, they would be like a stand-in. I don’t know if you know that.
I didn’t know that.
Noah: And now, there’s not.
Because of…
Noah: Because of my dad.
Is that right? So, they thought he was a stand-in possibly.
Noah: Possibly.
I see.
Noah: And so, it kind of went on, he wasn’t, and then Betty Thomas came in, but ever since that day, whoever is presenting the award will, like, “Hey, they can’t be here.” And so-
Ever since then.
Noah: So, my dad made a little imprint on the Emmys. There you go.
Look at that.
Noah: Yeah.
Well, I appreciate you both coming down. Two things. How do they keep up with you, Instagram, if they want to follow you?
And then, the second thing is how do they learn more about the Keto Bars and everything else you’ve got going on?
Adam: Most definitely. They can follow me, @AdamBremen.
Okay.
Adam: And then they can go to our website, TasteCanDo. And then I’m going to give a 25% discount code to anybody that’s listening.
Noah: 25? Give them more. What’s wrong with you?
Adam: All right.
Noah: Fifty.
Adam: Let’s go. We’ll go with the “50KetoKare.” 5-0, Keto, and then Kare with a K, K-A-R-E.
Got it. All right.
Noah: Awesome.
Adam: Check it out guys. You will not be disappointed, I promise you.
I love it.
Adam: And first of all, thanks Jason so much for having us.
Noah: Yeah. Thank you very much, Jason.
Adam: It’s been awesome.
I appreciate it.
Adam: Absolutely awesome and…
Noah: Great questions.
Adam: …great questions. Thanks to everybody in the background, we appreciate you.
Noah: Thank you.
Adam: Thank you, guys.
Thank you.
Adam: It’s been so fun. Thanks.
Thank you so much, guys.