A list of my YouTube heroes and influences would no doubt begin with Furious Pete. 🥩 He was the first competitive eater I found on YouTube, back in 2009-ish, and he seemed to be "the guy" who made eating in front of a camera look cool 😎. . It isn't so obvious today, but I'm a naturally quiet and introverted person. As much as I enjoyed watching Pete's videos, I knew we were very different people. This guy was off the page, larger than life. He was a bodybuilder, he overcame anorexia, and he won a long strong of eating contests without taking a loss. He influenced me to 'create' a YouTube channel, but I never felt totally comfortable in front of the camera and so made videos very randomly 🎥. . My outlook changed when I started working with Wreckless Eating, and Matt & Chris gave me words of encouragement. I felt less awkward in front of the camera when I was working with others. Things took another jump for me when Furious Pete reached out to me in March 2012 about doing a big 120 ounce steak challenge alongside him in Las Vegas 🥩🎰🎲. . It was almost unreal, looking back on it. He believed I had the talent and creativity to do well on YouTube, and that was no small endorsement. It was practically praise from Caesar. My list of YouTube influences has grown over the years, but Pete was always the first. They say "never meet your heroes," but I'm sure glad I did 🦸. . #steaks #bigfood #furiouspete #eatingfortheinsta #travel #lasvegas #eatlocal #vegas #eatlikeafreak #shoutout #influences #legendary #history #americanfood #dining #runnersofinstagram #foodlife #foodies #foodporn #throwback #tuesdaymotivation #teacher #heroes #eater #beef #nostalgia #nerd #neckties #gobigorgohome #cheatday (at Brand Steakhouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Kl-DelDM-/?igshid=13qfhx6914bxf