I just got back from Austin, where I set up shop at the Commodore Perry Estate and sat down with Ali Khan for a conversation that went far beyond food. Sure, we could’ve talked about his Cooking Channel show or the Raising Cane’s secret sauce my boys love, but instead, we dove into something deeper—how we connect, network, and gain access in meaningful ways.
The phrase iron sharpens iron is real, and being around like-minded people brings it to life. Ali and I formed a fast connection that led to a raw, honest discussion about fatherhood, marriage, and imposter syndrome. We talked about investing in yourself—emotionally, spiritually, financially—and the weight of losing a parent. What struck me most was Ali’s take on life in the pseudo-public eye, where perception and reality rarely align.
His insights cut to the core of what many middle-aged men wrestle with, making our conversation both impactful and deeply relatable. Here’s this week’s ‘How I See It with Ali Khan’. Let me know what resonates—I’m always interested in how YOU see it too! – Greg
How Ali Khan Sees It
MLM: A lot of guys our age feel like they’re stuck in a loop. They see men crushing it online, but they don’t see the grind. What’s your take on that?
Ali Khan: I’m living it, man. People see the highlight reel—TV shows, gigs—but they don’t see the years of chasing, the small checks, the “is this even working?” moments. I finally asked myself, “Why am I chasing stuff that’s not paying off?” That’s when I flipped it. I stopped waiting and started building for myself. It’s slow, it’s scary, but it’s mine.
MLM: You’re betting on yourself in 2025—full-on investing in Ali Khan, Inc. How’d you get to that decision?
Ali Khan: I realized I was always waiting. Waiting for a network to greenlight something, waiting for a producer to call, waiting for someone else to tell me I was worth it. YouTube, podcasts, social—it’s direct-to-consumer now. If I build it, I own it. The risk? Yeah, it’s real. But so is the upside.
MLM: Money’s always a factor when you’re making a big move like this. How’d you structure it so you’re not just lighting cash on fire?
Ali Khan: I made some moves. No college debt helped, and when my dad passed, there was a little life insurance. We sold a condo, bought in Austin, and I pulled some money out of that. I didn’t buy a new car. I stretched the runway. People always talk about investing in stocks—what about investing in yourself? That’s the real bet.
MLM: You built a career around finding the best cheap eats. That mindset—stretching a dollar—did that come from your upbringing?
Ali Khan: 100%. My dad was a doctor, but not the “country club doctor.” He made money only when he was working—no passive income, no big windfalls. We lived good, but smart. I grew up knowing that just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s better. That’s how I approached food, and now, life.
MLM: Time is the only thing you can’t make more of. What’s changed for you now that you’re in this stage of life?
Ali Khan: A stat hit me like a brick—by the time your kid turns 18, you’ve already spent 90% of the time you’ll ever get with them. That freaked me out. My son’s 13. I’ve got five summers left before he’s out of the house. That’s the real investment—time. Not money, not status, not some job I don’t care about.
MLM: A lot of guys grew up thinking success equals cars, watches, big houses. Has your definition changed?
Ali Khan: Oh yeah. My dad grew up dirt poor, became a doctor, built a house, filled it with stuff. Then he passed, and a truck came and took it all to an estate sale. What was it for? That was his generation. Mine? I’ll take the experience over the thing. The vacation over the car. It’s not about deprivation—it’s about choice.
MLM: Making new friends in your 40s and 50s is weird. How do you navigate that?
Ali Khan: It’s different, man. My kid even called me out—“Dad, you don’t have any friends.” I was like, “What?!” But I get what he meant. I don’t have the same social life. Now, my friends come through shared interests—fitness, business, travel. It’s quality over quantity. I don’t need 20 guys. I need a few real ones.
MLM: We all deal with imposter syndrome at some point. How do you get past it?
Ali Khan: I remind myself that people connect with me, not some polished version of me. Execs used to say, “Ali, you’re lightning in a bottle.” Great. But I was putting that lightning in their bottle. Now, I’m putting it in mine. If you’re real, if you own your voice, the right people will find you.
MLM: YouTube, social media—it used to feel like a young man’s game. How do you look at it now?
Ali Khan: Used to be. Now? The biggest audience on YouTube is 40-plus. Guys like us. They’re watching, they’re buying, they’re engaged. The whole game flipped. Legacy media is dying. If you’ve got something to say and you put in the work, you can build an audience. Doesn’t matter if you’re 25 or 50.
MLM: You’ve been in big TV productions. You’ve also done DIY content. What actually works?
Ali Khan: People want real, not perfect. I know guys spending $50K on a slick production that gets fewer views than a dude talking into his phone. Good production is nice, but good content wins. If you have something worth saying, people will find you.
MLM: You had a wake-up call with your health. What happened?
Ali Khan: Pre-diabetes. Scared the hell out of me. I was eating for fun, not fuel. Working out, but you can’t outrun a bad diet. I flipped it—got serious, lost weight, reversed it. Now I see food as fuel. It’s like money or time—where you put it matters.
MLM: A lot of guys sit on their hands, waiting for the perfect time to start something. What’s your advice?
Ali Khan: Just start. Don’t overthink it. Make it first, worry about making it good later. People get caught up in waiting—waiting for confidence, waiting for money, waiting for a sign. Stop waiting. Move. You can fix the plan on the fly.
