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Sam Zien

Emmy Award-winning host of "The Cooking Guy"

Sam Zien

Sam Zien

Emmy Award-winning host of "The Cooking Guy"

Travels From Travels From:
San Diego, CA, USA
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Categories Categories:
Celebrity Chefs, Food, Lifestyle
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Sam Zien Biography

Sam Zien is the first to tell you he is no chef. His television show, “Sam the Cooking Guy” sets him apart from the culinary institute-trained crowd. His whole niche is just that: Zien is a regular guy. The Canadian-born Zien may stand out because of his Great White North accent, but his appeal reaches much further. “I thought it was imperative to differentiate myself from chefs. The term “chef” is a term of respect that you have earned through experience or education - neither of which I have. I wanted to be seen as a regular guy because that is what I am. My goal is not to get people to go to a restaurant, my goal is for people to say “Hey, I can make that.” Zien awoke on 9/11 to have his life drastically altered by the day’s horror. He had left his Biotech career in July 2001 and was set to shoot a travel show demo across Asia in November. “That September changed thousands of people’s lives way more significantly than it changed mine, but I still had quit my job to go do that,” he says. He had a full crew employed and his dream within reach. It all fell with the World Trade Center. Stunned and recoiling like so many in the days that followed, Zien knew the last thing anyone wanted to hear about was getting on an airplane looking for adventures abroad. With sons Max, Jordan and Zack to think about, Zien moved quickly. “I didn’t have a job. I needed to rethink completely what I was going to do,” he said. “The travel show was a regular guy going places that were supposed to be complicated. I needed to find a different concept for that regular guy.”

Scanning the food shows that have overtaken television, he noticed a void. None of these culinary artists were relatable. “I chose cooking not because I was a great chef, but because of the hole there. Nobody was showing you how to make things in a casual, simple sort of way with lots of entertainment.”

The experience of launching a show, even if it never saw the light of day, was not new. Applying those lessons, he created a “Sam the Cooking Guy” demo tape. Beginning with local television stations’ morning shows allowed him a greater chance of success. They were free of the national network demands of “Today” and its kin. That only left KUSI, Channel 51 and Fox 6. “This has to work,” Zien told himself at the time, thinking of his paternal responsibilities. “If not, then I have to become an accountant which wouldn’t work, because I can’t add to save my life.”

Soon after sending his first cooking demo, the phone rang and Fox 6 wanted to see what he could do with their morning news. “I came off like a breath of fresh air,” Zien said. They immediately made “The Cooking Guy” a regular two or three minute feature. Although not paid, he was getting closer to his dream and receiving accolades in the process. “My first year out, we won two Emmys,” Zien said. And with the Emmys, Fox opened the coffers. He was now getting paid to be “Sam the Cooking Guy.”

In late 2004, CTN, the County of San Diego’s network, approached him about bringing the show in a full half-hour version to their station. To have his own show seemed the perfect next move, even if some thought he was crazy. “People have heard of Fox. They’d tell me “you’re going to leave that and stay on CTN - what is that? I have to stick with what I believe in,” Zien said.

“Sam the Cooking Guy” debuted in its current format in January 2005, airing 14 times a week across the county and the nation. Through agreements with sister cable companies, the show’s expanse revealed itself to Zien in the form of emails from Las Vegas to New York City. His co-star and beloved dog, retriever Halley, also gets her share. The furry Zien appears in every episode. “She is as much a part of the show as anything else,” he proudly said.

Thus far “Sam the Cooking Guy” has won eight Emmys. Zien is currently writing his first cookbook for John Wiley and Sons.

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Sam Zien Videos

  • Sam the Cooking Guy: Appetizers - YouTube
    Sam the Cooking Guy: Appetizers - YouTube
  • Sam the Cooking Guy - Stuffed French Toast - YouTube
    Sam the Cooking Guy - Stuffed French Toast - YouTube
  • Meet Sam the Cooking Guy - YouTube
    Meet Sam the Cooking Guy - YouTube
See All Videos »

Sam Zien Books

  • Sam the Cooking Guy: Just Grill This!
    Sam the Cooking Guy: Just Grill This!
  • Sam the Cooking Guy: Awesome Recipes & Kitchen Shortcuts
    Sam the Cooking Guy: Awesome Recipes & Kitchen Shortcuts
  • Sam the Cooking Guy: Just a Bunch of Recipes
    Sam the Cooking Guy: Just a Bunch of Recipes

FAQs on booking Sam Zien

  • How do I book Sam Zien to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Sam Zien for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Sam Zien, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Sam Zien or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Sam Zien

    Speaking fees for Sam Zien, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Sam Zien are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Sam Zien, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Sam Zien speak about?

    Sam Zien is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Celebrity Chefs, Food, Lifestyle.

  • Where does Sam Zien travel from?

    Sam Zien generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Sam Zien’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Sam Zien for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Sam Zien for your next private or corporate function.

  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Sam Zien or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Sam Zien is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Sam Zien for your event is available upon request. Sam Zien generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Stephan Pyles, Marc Murphy, Jehangir Mehta, Eli Kirshtein and Alain Roby. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Sam Zien for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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