Chef Brian Rae: Stepping Into The Unknown

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF BRIAN RAE.

HE JOINS US FROM BOSTON…..

WHERE CURRENTLY HE’S EXECUTIVE CHEF AT FACCIA A FACCIA…. A COASTAL ITALIAN-INSPIRED RESTAURANT.

CHEF RAE HAS WORKED IN MANY RESTAURANTS…. FROM CONNECTICUT…..TO NANTUCKET…..TO LAS VEGAS….

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

THE RESTAURANT SCENE IN BOSTON….

ALSO…….YOUR CAREER IS JUST ONE-EIGHTH OF YOUR LIFE….WE’LL TALK ABOUT DEREK THOMPSON’S ARTICLE IN THE ATLANTIC….. WHERE HE SHARES FIVE PIECES OF CAREER ADVICE…SHAPED BY ECONOMICS & PSYCHOLOGY….

PLUS….WE EXPLORE STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN….THE COURAGE IT TAKES…AND THE OPPORTUNITY IT PROVIDES……. WHEN IT COMES TO GROWING..AND LEARNING…AND BECOMING…. YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF…

SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO…..“HAVE YOU EATEN YET?”......

THIS COULD BE A MEAL FROM TODAY  …...OR….. IT COULD BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT MEMORY ABOUT…..

[[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

BOSTON

YOU’RE MY FIRST GUEST FROM BOSTON…..SO I WANT TO JUMP IN AND TACKLE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE RESTAURANT SCENE THERE…..

LET’S GO BACK TO WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED IN BOSTON….AROUND WHAT YEAR WAS THAT ?.......AND  WHAT WAS THE RESTAURANT SCENE LIKE THEN?

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HOW HAS THE RESTAURANT SCENE CHANGED SINCE THEN….WHAT’S THE BIGGEST THING THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ?

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HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SCENE THESE DAYS ? 

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IS BOSTON LACKING ANYTHING FOOD WISE…… OR DOES THE CITY HAVE EVERYTHING ON YOUR WISHLIST ?

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WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER ONE FOOD / RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATION (AND YOU CAN’T NAME YOUR RESTAURANT…).....

THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE BOSTON AREA….MAYBE SOMETHING UNDERRATED….BUT A PLACE THAT IS ALWAYS SOLID…THAT YOU GO TO ….. 

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SAME QUESTION…. BUT FOR CHEFS VISITING BOSTON….WHAT ARE A FEW SOLID PLACES THAT THEY SHOULD EAT AT…..

WHERE THEY LEAVE BOSTON SAYING 

“THAT CITY DID NOT DISAPPOINT”.....AGAIN….THIS IS NOT INCLUDING YOUR RESTAURANT….

[[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

FACCIA A FACCIA

I’M GOING TO ROLL A FEW QUESTIONS INTO ONE…WITH THE INTENTION OF HAVING YOU BRING US INTO YOUR CURRENT LIFE….

FROM LAUNCHING A RESTAURANT…..MENU PLANNING….TO OPENING DAY……..ALL THE WAY TO PRESENT DAY……

HOW BIG OR SMALL IS YOUR TEAM ?....... ANY CHALLENGES THAT STAND OUT ? …….

ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOU’RE PROUD OF SO FAR ? …… 

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU ? ……..

BASICALLY… I’M TRYING TO GET THE OVERALL FEEL… FOR THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE……

[[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

CAREER

YOUR CAREER IS JUST ONE-EIGHTH OF YOUR LIFE….THAT’S THE FOCUS OF DEREK THOMPSON’S ARTICLE IN THE ATLANTIC….. WHERE HE SHARES FIVE PIECES OF CAREER ADVICE…SHAPED BY ECONOMICS AND PSYCHOLOGY…..WE’RE GOING TO EXPLORE ALL FIVE…

NUMBER ONE: YOUR CAREER IS NOT YOUR LIFE.

ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE 80 THOUSAND HOURS…. THE TYPICAL CAREER IS JUST THAT….80 THOUSAND HOURS LONG……THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LONG TIME BUT….IT’S REALLY JUST ONE-SIXTH…. OF YOUR WAKING HOURS.

THE POINT IS: YOUR CAREER IS NOT YOUR LIFE…. SO BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ADVICE ?

[[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

NUMBER TWO: DON’T DO THE JOB YOU WANT TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE YOU DO.

                           DO THE JOB YOU WANT TO DO.

WORK IS NOT A SERIES OF WORDS ON A LINKEDIN PROFILE. 

IT’S A SERIES OF MOMENTS IN THE WORLD. 

AND IF YOU DON’T ENJOY THOSE MOMENTS….NO TITLE… OR POSITION…. OR MONEY…. WILL MAKE THAT DISCOMFORT DISAPPEAR…..

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS CAREER ADVICE?

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NUMBER THREE: EXPLORE, THEN EXPLOIT.

EVEN IF YOU DON’T QUIT YOUR EMPLOYER….YOU SHOULD CONSTANTLY LOOK TO QUIT YOUR JOB……MAYBE NOT LITERALLY……BUT BY SWITCHING UP THE EXACT ROLE…AND RESPONSIBILITIES….. THAT YOU WERE HIRED FOR….PUSH YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE…..SWITCH ROLES…..LEARN NEW SKILLS….

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED THIS IN YOUR CAREER ?

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NUMBER FOUR: FLOW COMES FROM VOLUNTARY, DIFFICULT, AND WORTHWHILE              

                             WORK.

FLOW DOESN’T COME FROM DOING EASY THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. REWARDING WORK IS NOT EASY…….BUT AN ACHIEVABLE CHALLENGE…. THAT REQUIRES STRETCHING YOUR CAPABILITIES……. AND ALLOWING FOR LEARNING AND GROWTH.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ADVICE ?

[[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

AND THE FINAL ONE…..NUMBER FIVE: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF…ABOUT WHAT YOU VALUE….AND HOW MUCH PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS MATTERS TO YOU…..

IDENTIFY HOW MUCH AMBITION AND HUSTLE YOU HAVE…..AND THEN APPLY IT ACCORDINGLY…..THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR WORKING REALLY HARD….AND CARING….

AGAIN….THIS ALL COMES DOWN TO BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF…..IT MEANS ASKING YOURSELF QUESTIONS….GETTING TO KNOW YOURSELF…..AND THIS CAN OBVIOUSLY CHANGE OVER THE YEARS….

HAS YOUR OUTLOOK ON THIS…. SHIFTED DURING YOUR CAREER?

 [[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

UNKNOWN

STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN….IS UNCOMFORTABLE….YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP CONTROL….IT TAKES COURAGE….ON MANY LEVELS…..COURAGE TO HAVE PEOPLE DOUBT YOU…OR MIS-UNDERSTAND YOU….

MAKING DIFFERENT DECISIONS MIGHT BE SCARY…..THEY MIGHT BACKFIRE…..

BUT….STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW….AND LEARN…AND ULTIMATELY…. YOU BECOME YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF…

IN MY EXPERIENCE….. STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN STARTS WITH DREAMING….THEN…..SYNCHRONICITIES WILL START TO HAPPEN …….THEN AS I’M TAKING THOSE STEPS…… I HAVE MORE OF A FEELING OF KNOWING…. THAT I BELONG THERE……

THOSE SIGNS THAT I’M PICKING UP…HELP ME KEEP GOING…. ON MY PATH…

IN THOSE MOMENTS I KNOW THAT I’M FOLLOWING MY HEART……AND WHEN THINGS GO WRONG…..IT DOESN'T MEAN I’M NOT DOING IT RIGHT……IT’S LIFE….

WE ALL GET KNOCKED DOWN SOMETIMES…..BUT WE GET UP….AND STAY ALERT…AND AWARE….AND KEEP GOING…..

I’M WONDERING IF IN YOUR LIFE….. WHETHER IN YOUR CAREER….AS A CHEF….OR IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE….YOU’VE EVER STEPPED INTO THE UNKNOWN….

AND TAKEN A CHANCE….AND IF YOU HAVE….I’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT JOURNEY…. 

 [[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

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

 [[CHEF BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

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

 [[CHEF BRIAN RAE 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 BRIAN RAE 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.

FOR YOU IT COULD BE AS YOU’RE COOKING PERHAPS…..OR WORKING AT THE RESTAURANT ALONE….BEFORE ANYONE ARRIVES AT WORK…..

I’M WONDERING …..IF YOU’VE 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 BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY:

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 BRIAN RAE DISCUSSES]]

AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

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OUTRO:

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

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