If you want to be great be humble.  Nothing speaks more to me than this.  when I was first coming up in kitchens I found myself in an occupation that I was good at.  I slowly moved up the ranks and was managing the back of the house at a few places before I was 21.  I was telling grown men what to do and writing schedules early on.  Looking back on it I was good for what the kitchen needed but I was also young and full of myself.  I felt like I knew everything about cooking since I could run that menu with ease.  Later on in my career I was able to learn from some really great chefs.  I realized then that I really didn’t know a lot about cuisine but more about how to run a kitchen and a set menu.  They both are important but I wanted to learn more about cuisine so I decided I’d rather play a smaller role in a great place than be the man in a shitty one.  Restaurants and the business can burn you out and bore you if you are like me.  I moved around for a while trying to find the right fit until I found the place that worked for me.  I was learning new cuisine and techniques every day.  I read as many articles and cookbooks I could get my hands on.  The more I learned about cuisine, it’s tie to culture, and geography the more it became a wormhole of how little I truly know.  In time I grew with confidence but also with a humble respect for my team, the process and most importantly the guest. Again I went up the ranks but this time on the level that I wanted for me to be able to be creative in a place I was proud to work for.

In this business just like the food and culture the kitchen is a small village in its own way.  Respect to everyone and an open mind for ideas can allow your team to grow and have a career path for them while you can inspire and continue to grow yourself.  Be kind is said so much these days but has a strong message.  I came up through the hard-headed, temper driven chefs and although I do have some of this in me I try to keep myself grounded and respectful to my team.  The executive chef or manager is the person who can really have an impact on what they will get out of their team.  If you find yourself where I am whether it’s in the restaurant industry or another field remember this… Stay focused, keep learning, you never know it all,  and always be

HUMBLE.