Who we are is a composite of our life experiences and the people who cross our paths. We are, and should be, a work in progress. As chefs, our strength is in our ability and willingness to evolve, to learn from others, to look at life as an open book, and to constantly improve in various ways. If we are not evolving, then we are less likely to become the type of chef and kitchen leader who can chart a course towards excellence and success. The influencers in our lives, the people who help to push or pull us in a refreshing new direction, are part of who we are. Their importance cannot be over-estimated. So, who were(are) your influencers? Here are some of mine.

[]       Millie the Cook:

When I was 15years old, I took a summer dishwasher position at a diner in Buffalo, New York. Aside from paperboy, this was my first real job. Millie was the breakfast/lunch cook whose husband had been a hotel chef downtown until he passed away. Millie started cooking to pay the bills. She was organized, methodical, passionate about what she did, and a perfect example of American work ethic. She took me under her wing and taught me to help set up plates when it was busy, griddle flapjacks, and later how to prepare eggs sunny side, over easy, scrambled and poached. I got my first taste of the kitchen under Millie’s tutelage. She taught me two important golden rules – first, if you are ready then you can handle anything and practice makes perfect.

[]       Mr. Richards (never caught his first name):

He was the general manager of a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Buffalo. This was my first interview (wake-up call) after finishing my two-year college degree in hotel management. I applied for a restaurant manager’s position and Mr. Richard’s invested three hours in my interview, pointing to all the things I didn’t know and all the skills I truly lacked. His words were difficult at the time, but they set me on the right course from that point on: “go back in the kitchen, invest in learning all that you can, discover how to listen and work with others, learn to appreciate the product, immerse in quality control, and then work your way out front with management as a goal. Be patient, learn, and be a sponge.” I went back to the kitchen where I started and never left.

[]       Frank Shores:

Frank owned a famous restaurant in Orchard Park, New York called, Shore’s Orchard Downs. I took a position there after I lost my first management job at another property. I wasn’t ready for the scope of that position, so it was important to take a bit more time in the kitchen. I was an evening sous chef at Orchard Downs, a busy, high-quality operation in an affluent community. Frank lived above the restaurant and insisted on being called whenever a food delivery arrived. Frank counted and weighed everything. I asked him at one point why he just didn’t trust the invoice and save some time. His words still ring true: “If you went to the store to buy groceries for your family and bought a bag of oranges that said “10-count”, would you count the oranges to make sure it was correct? Well, why would it be any different in my operation? This is a business of pennies, and you must be on top of everything.”

[]       Rocky Pecoraro:

Rocky was the executive chef at the Statler Hilton Hotel – the first real executive chef I worked for. He completed his apprenticeship at this hotel years earlier and now returned as the captain of the ship. His kitchen was filled with cooks from different parts of the world, most spoke a different language than me. There was Frenchie the butcher from northern France who had lived in the U.S. for nearly twenty years but continued to speak in his native language. Patsy was the barely five-foot-tall pastry chef who made extraordinary ice cream and cakes. His signature was Baked Alaska logs that we would sugar, coat with hot brandy, set on fire and parade around the dining room at massive banquets throughout the year. Lloyd was the sous chef – he was from Jamaica and ruled the operation with both a touch of island ease and stubborn discipline. Antonio was the saucier/potager who was always up to his elbows in stocks, fumet, mother sauces, and a full array of soups built to serve thousands of guests. He was protective of his recipes and never shared (I learned to watch him through the corner of my eye). Chef Rocky taught me that the greatest gift of working in a kitchen is the opportunity to share a cutting board with and learn from people of all different backgrounds.

[]       Professor Jim Jacobs:

A military retiree who taught pilots to be prepared. He was a grad school professor at Rochester Institute of Technology where I studied Service Management. Jim (Jake) taught me to be inquisitive, to never accept things the way they were, to be bold and always ask “why” until I got to the root of any issue or challenge. “You will never solve a problem by accepting it as such. Find out the ‘why’ before you act.”

[]       Ed Weibrecht:

Ed is the owner of the world-famous Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, New York. I worked there at two different times as a manager and executive chef. Ed taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing well. His approach was to ensure that excellence was a way of life, not an objective. He also believed and practiced making sure that the total experience was evident to all stakeholders in an operation from every employee to the guest and even vendors.

[]       The 1988 New England Culinary Olympic Team:

The professional gold star of my career was being a member of this international award-winning team. Each member adding something to my profile as a chef and a human being: Michael Beriau showed me how to be serious about my work without losing the ability to be kind and supportive. He showed all of us how to take the time to laugh even in the most serious situations. Roland Czekelius set the stage for understanding that winning is always possible if you believe it can be, and providing you invest the effort to get there. George Higgins emphasized through his own actions that excellence and being humble go hand in hand. Lars Johannsen taught the team to stay focused, know when to ask for help, and never be satisfied with what you do. You can always improve. Charles Carroll, the youngest member of the team helped us to feel that anything is possible. Neil Connolly was a war horse – seasoned, determined, confident, focused, no bullshit, steady and talented. To be successful, all these traits need to work together. Joe Faria, was exacting, driven, but cool as a cucumber. He was always serious with a smile in the works. Danny Varano was the benchmark, he knew we would be successful because we were honest with each other. And Walter Zuromski showed us, through his work, that what was expected would never make people stand up and pay attention. He taught us to push the envelope and be different.

[]       Anton Flory:

Ah…the master chef on the team – one of the first five to earn this designation in the U.S. Tony was a gentleman chef, a wise sage who was serious but never pretentious. As manager of our team, he knew that his role was not to place wonderful food on platters to be judged, but rather to ensure that we all had everything we needed to be successful; tools, supplies, critique, assistance, an occasional push, and mentorship. He was all that I hoped to become as a leader.

[]       A countless number of inspirations:

[]       Every co-worker, every student, every friend, and of course – my incredible family continues to inspire me every day. My heart is full and my career has been rewarding beyond my dreams, because of them. As in my case, the people around you are your fuel. They are the reason that you are who you are, and the reason you are where you are or will be.

Who are your influencers? Which individuals were instrumental in creating the chef, manager, and person that you are today? Cherish them, tell them how important they are to you, and represent their best qualities through the work that you do every day.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – KNOW WHO YOUR INFLUENCERS ARE

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