Chef Dustin Everett: Exploring Conscious Communication

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT.

HE JOINS US FROM MANHATTAN…..

WHERE CURRENTLY HE’S EXECUTIVE CHEF AT FISH CHEEKS….A CONTEMPORARY, SEAFOOD-FOCUSED…. THAI RESTAURANT… IN NOHO.

CHEF EVERETT HAS WORKED IN MANY RESTAURANTS….INCLUDING PIG & KHAO AND MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR….

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

HOW TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH…. IN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS……

AND……WE EXPLORE THE CONCEPT OF CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATION…..

PLUS….STAYING GROUNDED……..ROOTED IN DESIRE….. AND OUT OF FEAR…..ALL AT THE SAME TIME…IS NOT EASY TO BALANCE….WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE STRUGGLES….AND THE WINS……ON THE JOURNEY……

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 DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

ASIAN FUSION

YOUR BACKGROUND IS COOKING ASIAN FUSION…. WITH FILIPINO, VIETNAMESE AND THAI INFLUENCES…WHAT ABOUT THIS CUISINE…. SPOKE TO YOUR SOUL ?

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

INTROSPECTION

I’D LIKE YOU TO GET A LITTLE INTROSPECTIVE….YOU’RE A CHEF WORKING IN ONE OF THE BEST CITIES IN THE WORLD….YOU’VE HAD EXPERIENCES IN MANY DIFFERENT KITCHENS…..LOOKING BACK AT YOURSELF FROM 10 YEARS AGO…..WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE….. THAT YOU’D GIVE THAT YOUNGER VERSION OF YOURSELF  ? 

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

NEW ORLEANS 

YOU SPENT TIME IN NEW ORLEANS EARLY IN YOUR CAREER…WHAT IMPACT DID THAT CITY HAVE ON YOU…. AS A CHEF ?

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR

AFTER NEW ORLEANS YOU HEAD TO NEW YORK CITY….AND START WORKING ALONGSIDE CHEF DAVE CHANG… AT MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR….YOU WERE A SOUS CHEF THERE….AND YOU SPENT FOUR YEARS… IN THAT ROLE…

I’D LIKE YOU TO TAKE US BACK TO THAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE…YOU’RE IN A NEW CITY….A NEW JOB….

I’M GOING TO ROLL A FEW QUESTIONS INTO ONE…THE GOAL IS FOR YOU TO BRING US INTO YOUR LIFE BACK THEN….

ARE THERE ANY HIGHLIGHTS OR HURDLES….. THAT STAND OUT DURING THIS TIME ….AND  WHAT WAS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU BACK THEN ? 

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

MENTAL TOUGHNESS:

I RECENTLY HEARD AN INTERVIEW WITH BRENE BROWN….SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH…. IN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS.

SHE SAID QUOTE:

“THE CORE OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS ACTUALLY SELF-COMPASSION.”

“PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTALLY TOUGH STAY MENTALLY TOUGH…… BECAUSE THEY DON’T SLIP EASILY INTO SHAME….. OR SELF-CRITICISM…. OR SELF-LOATHING.” 

RESEARCHERS FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY AGREE WITH BROWN... SAYING QUOTE:

“WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE NOT PERFORMING AT YOUR BEST….. SELF-CRITICISM MAKES YOU MORE EMOTIONAL….. AND UNABLE TO LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.

SELF-COMPASSION…..MAKES YOU MORE RESILIENT.

WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL TOUGHNESS….WHAT’S YOUR JOURNEY BEEN LIKE ?

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

EUROPE

YOU SPENT TIME TRAVELING THROUGH EUROPE…. AND WORKING AS A PRIVATE CHEF….DID SOME POP UPS…..TELL US ABOUT ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE…..

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

DESIRE OVER FEAR

STAYING GROUNDED……..ROOTED IN DESIRE….. AND OUT OF FEAR…..ALL AT THE SAME TIME…IS NOT EASY TO BALANCE….

YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS CONCEPT FROM MANY ANGLES….TAKE CAREER FOR EXAMPLE:

IDEALLY YOU WANT TO STAY GROUNDED, HUMBLE….NOT LEADING WITH YOUR EGO………BUT…..YOU ALSO NEED TO STAY ROOTED IN DESIRE….HAVE A FOCUS….HAVE A PATH IN MIND……..AND THEN WHEN FEAR CREEPS IN….YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE AWAY FROM THAT …..TO STAY ON YOUR PATH…..

IT CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING….BUT ALSO VERY REWARDING…….

WHEN IT COMES TO DESIRE OVER FEAR…..I’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF YOUR STRUGGLES….AND HIGHLIGHTS..…ON YOUR JOURNEY…

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

IN THE PAST YEAR WHAT’S ONE TRIP THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THAT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE…NOW THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL TRIP OVERSEAS…..OR HERE IN THIS COUNTRY….IT COULD BE A TRIP CLOSE TO HOME….. MAYBE TO A NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW YORK CITY…..OR….MAYBE IT’S A GOOD MEMORY….LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…….OR…..IT COULD BE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP…..  

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATION 

I BELIEVE THAT WE ALL HAVE THE POWER TO SPEAK THINGS INTO EXISTENCE….

IT STARTS WITH HOW WE THINK ABOUT OURSELVES….IT EXTENDS TO OUR CREATIVITY….. AND ULTIMATELY HOW WE COMMUNICATE….

WHAT I’M DESCRIBING IS A VERY BASIC EXPLANATION OF CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATION….

I’M WONDERING IF IN YOUR LIFE….PERHAPS EARLY IN YOUR CAREER…DID YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF….SEE THE POTENTIAL….WITH THE CREATIVE OUTLET OF COOKING…..AND SPEAK THAT CAREER INTO EXISTENCE….OR MAYBE IT WASN’T CAREER…..MAYBE IT WAS TRAVELING….OR ANYTHING IN LIFE…..

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

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

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

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

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT 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 DUSTIN EVERETT 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….…..

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 DUSTIN EVERETT 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 DUSTIN EVERETT DISCUSSES]]

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

[[CHEF DUSTIN EVERETT 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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