Some great quotes and gems on life, entrepreneurship that people will come to appreciate.
On a stormy afternoon in Boston, Barbara and I sat down at a table at Menton (her highly praised fine-dining restaurant in South Boston.) Within five minutes and a flash of lightening, everything dimmed and her restaurants in the same proximity (Menton, Sportello and Drink) were suddenly functioning on zero electricity. But our interview went on as the norm, she was absolutely sweet, kind and exceedingly friendly. She quickly became a wonderful supporter of my mission with Jetset Times.
Our interview went on for quite awhile, but not everything could be included in the article that was published yesterday. So below are some great quotes and gems on life, entrepreneurship that I think many will come to appreciate:
Having a balance in life:
“You have to separate yourself. I love my space, so there are times I don’t want to talk to anybody. A lot of my chefs are young, and if I’m with them all the time then I see the bad things. In order to create menus and innovate so we can grow, I can’t be in the eye of the storm. I have to be out of it.”
Building a successful team:
“I love my team, I love my staff. I started with 30 employees, now I have 280, and they’re great! I call them “misfits.” It’s so powerful that, if you don’t love food, you don’t love hospitality, then you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb. You’re not going to work as hard as everybody else, and you’re not going to make it.”
The customer experience:
“I hope there’s a wow factor with all my restaurants. I’m not an over-the-top kind of a person, so if you have dinner here, you’re going to notice that our silverware is beautiful but it’s not too extravagant and there aren’t so many of them that is too overwhelming. If Joe Schmo has never gone out eating before, he’s going to get luxury and elegance here but not be intimidated.”
On the brilliance of molecular food:
“I’m not molecular, it’s not how I cook or how I like to eat. But I love Ferran Adria, I think he’s brilliant. But it would take me another 25 years to learn how to cook that way, because I don’t know science that well. I love what they’re doing, they’re pushing the envelope. I feel so lucky I get to witness molecular food, it’s like when haut cuisine became haut cuisine.”
Dealing with sexism in culinary industry:
“There is some, timing is everything and I don’t play a game. Some people don’t come around, so it’s almost like being an artist. I can’t appeal to everybody, but I know I appeal to my staff, I know it resonates with them. I know I appeal to a lot of winemakers in the world, and that’s what makes me tick. For me, I’m confident enough in my industry with the people I like to surround myself with, good people with similar views and values. If I don’t get recognized, it’s okay, I’m happy with it. But the fact that I do get the recognition from people like Thomas Keller, who comes in for dinner. That means to me: I’ve arrived.”
Respect for an amazing staff:
“I’m very proud to create a culinary profession, not a temporary restaurant job. I’m so proud of everyone that I work with, they are my success. I’m simply the visionary person, they’re the ones who believe in it. They sell it, they push it. Why wouldn’t you want to treat them with respect and dignity?”
Hope you can all apply some of these tips and lesson on your businesses and everyday life! (Read more of my interview with Barbara here.)
Happy travels,
