Chef Alejandro Bonilla: A Conversation From Tiny’s, Smith & Mills, And Yves In Manhattan

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF ALEJANDRO BONILLA.

HE JOINS US FROM MANHATTAN…..

WHERE...CURRENTLY….. HE’S THE HEAD CHEF….. OF TRIBECA-BASED RESTAURANTS TINY’S, SMITH & MILLS, AND YVES.

CHEF BONILLA GREW UP IN MEXICO.

WHEN HE ARRIVED IN NY….. HE STARTED WORKING AS A DISHWASHER…..AND 

WORKED HIS WAY UP….. THROUGH EVERY POSITION…. IN THE KITCHEN….. 

HIS STORY IS ONE OF DETERMINATION.

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

THE EXPERIENCE OF LEAVING MEXICO…. AND STARTING A NEW JOURNEY IN NEW YORK...….. 

ALSO…….THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DETERMINATION….

PLUS….WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR MINDSET…. WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS….SPECIFICALLY A SCARCITY MENTALITY….. VERSUS AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET…… 

SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO….CHEF BONILLA…..

 “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?”......

THIS COULD BE A MEAL FROM TODAY …..OR MAYBE A CUP OF COFFEE THAT YOU’RE DRINKING NOW….

 …...OR….. IT COULD BE …...THE LAST MEAL…. THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT MEMORY ABOUT…..

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

EARLY DAYS

YOU GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN CENTRAL MEXICO.

I READ IN A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW THAT AS A CHILD YOU WOULD CARRY CORN TO THE MILL…. TO BE GROUND INTO MASA FOR TORTILLAS. 

AT ONE POINT IN YOUR CAREER YOU WERE HEAD CHEF AT PARK SLOPE’S TACO SANTO….WHERE YOU WERE MAKING MASA.

IN RETROSPECT….. IT’S INTERESTING TO SEE THAT CLEAR LINE FROM CHILDHOOD TO YOUR CAREER AS A CHEF…..

A DIRECT CONNECTION FROM A SEEMINGLY NORMAL CHILDHOOD CHORE….. TO A SPECIFIC….. AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER SKILL….. THAT IS USED IN YOUR CAREER… LATER IN LIFE……

I’D LIKE YOU TO LOOK BACK AT YOUR LIFE….. AS A CHILD IN CENTRAL MEXICO…..DESCRIBE WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE THERE……

AND ALSO IF YOU CAN REMEMBER AT ANY POINT …..FEELING HAPPY BEING IN THE KITCHEN…OR COOKING WITH YOUR FAMILY ?

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOMENT YOU KNEW THAT YOU WANTED TO LEAVE MEXICO? IF YOU DO, I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO DESCRIBE THAT MOMENT…. 

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE NEW YORK AS YOUR FINAL DESTINATION ?

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

SO YOU ARRIVE IN NEW YORK….YOU’RE IN A NEW CITY….A NEW COUNTRY….

WHAT IS THAT FIRST YEAR LIKE FOR YOU ? 

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

YOUR FIRST JOB IS NOT AS A CHEF OR A COOK….BUT AS A DISHWASHER….IN OUR INDUSTRY IT’S AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT JOB….. THAT SOMETIMES DOESN’T GET THE LEVEL OF RESPECT THAT IT DESERVES…..

WHAT DID THAT POSITION TEACH YOU?

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

WAS THERE A SPECIFIC MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A CHEF? 

IF THERE WAS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THAT MOMENT…..AND ALSO WHEN IT HAPPENED…WAS IT WHILE YOU WERE A DISHWASHER ?......OR BEFORE THAT ? 

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

DETERMINATION

I WANT TO FOCUS ON DETERMINATION.

DETERMINATION KEEPS YOU MOVING FORWARD.

DETERMINATION IS ABOUT STAYING FOCUSED ON A GOAL. 

AND AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A GOAL….YOU CAN CREATE A PATH TO THAT GOAL…… MOVING YOU CLOSER…. TO THE SUCCESS YOU WANT.

SOME RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HAVING DETERMINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING SMART.

THE THOUGHT BEHIND THAT….. IS INTELLIGENCE OR TALENT IS A PASSIVE QUALITY….. BUT DETERMINATION IS ACTIVE. 

DETERMINATION IS TRANSFORMATIVE.

YOUR TALENTS MAY CREATE OPPORTUNITIES….. BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT IN WORK TO MAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES A REALITY. 

IT’S BELIEVED THAT HARD WORK IS SO IMPORTANT…. THAT EVEN IF YOU HAVE AN AVERAGE LEVEL OF TALENT…. YOU CAN STILL USE DETERMINATION…. TO TRANSFORM WHAT YOU HAVE…. INTO SUCCESS.

AND ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT DETERMINATION HAPPENS….. IF YOU RUN INTO OBSTACLES…. ON THE PATH TO YOUR GOAL.

IF YOU HAVE DETERMINATION…… THEN YOU HAVE THE POWER TO PUSH THROUGH THOSE OBSTACLES…..OR YOU GO DOWN A NEW PATH.

DETERMINATION HELPS YOU KEEP GOING….. REGARDLESS OF WHAT’S PUT IN FRONT OF YOU. 

CHEF BONILLA YOUR STORY IS ONE OF DETERMINATION….WHERE DOES YOUR DETERMINATION COME FROM? HAVE YOU ALWAYS HAD IT SINCE YOU WERE A CHILD? 

DID YOUR PARENTS TEACH YOU ABOUT IT…..I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN YOUR JOURNEY TO DETERMINATION ….

AND HOW DETERMINATION HELPED YOU….. ON YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING A CHEF ? 

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

ABUNDANCE VS SCARCITY MINDSET

MINDSET IS A CRITICAL PART OF SUCCESS IN BUSINESS.                                                 WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A SCARCITY MENTALITY….. VERSUS AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET. 

A SCARCITY MENTALITY SEES LIMITATIONS…… INSTEAD OF OPPORTUNITIES. 

A SCARCITY MINDSET BELIEVES THAT IF ONE PERSON WINS…. ANOTHER LOSES. 

AND ULTIMATELY…. A SCARCITY MENTALITY…. IS WHAT KEEPS MANY OF US FROM ACHIEVING OUR GOALS. 

ON THE OTHER HAND….AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET BELIEVES THERE IS PLENTY OUT THERE…. FOR EVERYBODY. 

AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET ALLOWS YOU TO SEE MORE IN YOUR LIFE….. MORE OPTIONS….. MORE CHOICES……. AND MORE RESOURCES. 

THE BASIC THOUGHT:                                                                                                                       IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE IN LIFE…. YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE MORE………. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE IN LIFE…. YOU’LL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH.

I’M ON THIS JOURNEY NOW….I REALIZED THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING I’VE HAD A SCARCITY MINDSET IN THE PAST….AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT I’VE MADE….. AS I EMBRACE MY ABUNDANCE MINDSET…. 

I FOCUS ON WHAT I HAVE……..SURROUND MYSELF WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET……CREATE WIN-WIN SITUATIONS FOR ALL……GRATITUDE IS WOVEN INTO MY DAILY LIFE……. AND I’M TRAINING MY MIND…. TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE POSSIBILITIES….

CHEF BONILLA, LOOKING BACK AT YOUR LIFE……HAVE YOU HAD AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET OR A SCARCITY MINDSET? …..AND HOW HAS THAT AFFECTED YOUR CAREER?

 [[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO FIND INSPIRATION EACH YEAR ? ......

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL FUTURE LOOK LIKE ?......

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT LED TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU….. IN THIS INDUSTRY? ……. 

IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MOMENT….

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

FLOW STATE:

A FLOW STATE, ALSO KNOWN AS BEING IN THE ZONE…. IS THE MENTAL STATE WHEN A PERSON IS PERFORMING AN ACTIVITY….. AND IS FULLY IMMERSED…. IN A FEELING OF ENERGIZED FOCUS, CLARITY  AND ENJOYMENT…. IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS…..

IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE WORK….IT’S EFFORTLESS ATTENTION….. THAT YOU’RE GIVING THE ACTIVITY…..IT’S A EUPHORIC FEELING… 

IT’S DURING THIS ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS…. THAT YOUR MIND FUNCTIONS… AT ITS PEAK….AND A SENSE OF HAPPINESS… FLOWS THROUGH YOUR BODY.

I CAN GET INTO IT….. IF I’M AT MY RESTAURANT WHEN IT’S CLOSED…. AND I’M THE ONLY ONE THERE….I MIGHT BE WORKING ON NEW DRINKS FOR MY MENU….MUSIC IS PLAYING….

NO INTERRUPTIONS…JUST ME, INGREDIENTS….. AND MUSIC...

AND THE RECIPES FLOW….IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE WORK….

FOR YOU IT COULD BE DURING SERVICE PERHAPS…..

AS A CHEF, HAVE YOU EVER REACHED THIS STATE ?.....

IF YOU HAVE….PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR SURROUNDINGS…. LEADING IT UP TO IT….

AND WHAT IT FELT LIKE…. BEING IN THAT STATE?

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY:

CHEF BONILLA, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING THE PODCAST…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…... THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY ….…

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU  ?

[[CHEF BONILLA DISCUSSES]]

OUTRO:

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

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