Kyle and Katina Connaughton: A Conversation From SingleThread Farm In Healdsburg California

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUESTS ARE  KATINA AND KYLE CONNAUGHTON.

BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, THEY’RE IDENTIFIED IN MANY WAYS…. CHEF, FARMER, RESTAURANT OWNERS, AUTHOR, PARENTS, INN KEEPERS, OWNERS OF A RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT COMPANY….AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON…

THEY JOINS US FROM HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

WHERE THEIR RESTAURANT SINGLETHREAD WAS AWARDED 3 MICHELIN STARS IN ITS SECOND YEAR OF OPERATION…..AND IT'S CURRENTLY RATED #37…. ON THE WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS LIST….

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

THEIR SPECIAL CONNECTION TO JAPAN….. 

AND……WE EXPLORE LESSONS THEY’VE LEARNED WHILE WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY….. WHILE TRAVELING THE WORLD……

PLUS….WE TALK ABOUT PUNK ROCK…..AND HOW IT’S INFLUENCED THEIR JOURNEY  THROUGH LIFE….

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…..

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

JAPAN

YOU BOTH TRAVELED THE WORD TOGETHER IN YOUR 20’S AND SPENT TIME WORKING AT MANY DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS. 

YOU SPENT A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME IN JAPAN….IN FACT, YOUR CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL THERE…. AND TO THIS DAY…YOU STILL RETURN THERE TO VISIT…IT’S A PART OF YOUR LIFE…

I’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THE CONNECTION THAT YOU HAVE WITH THIS COUNTRY AND CULTURE…IF YOU GO BACK IN TIME…WAS THERE A MOMENT WHEN YOUR SOUL, MIND AND BODY FELT AT HOME THERE IN A WAY….OR MAYBE IT WAS JUST A DEEP INNER KNOWING…THAT JAPAN JUST FELT RIGHT…. FOR THAT MOMENT…. IN YOUR LIFE…..

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

WHILE IN JAPAN…. YOU WORKED WITH 

CHEF  MICHEL BRAS….WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY OR LESSON THAT YOU LEARNED FROM HIM ….THAT HAS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE THE MOST…

[[KYLE DISCUSSES]]

WHAT WAS A TYPICAL DAY FOR YOU WHILE WORKING THERE….WHAT TIME ARE YOU ARRIVING…WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS TASKS THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY DO….WHAT’S THE OVERALL FEELING OF SERVICE….. 

AND …THIS IS ALL TO GIVE LISTENERS A BROADER SENSE…. OF THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE….

[[KYLE DISCUSSES]]

THOUGHTS

IF I SAY……”YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE………. YOUR WORDS SHAPE”….WHAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND ?……IT COULD BE A TIME IN YOUR LIFE… A FAVORITE QUOTE ....ANYTHING….

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

PUNK

THE NARRATIVE THAT SURROUNDS YOU BOTH….IS THAT YOU TWO FELL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER…. AT A PUNK SHOW IN YOUR TEENS…BESIDES BEING FANS OF PUNK ROCK….HOW HAS THIS MUSIC INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE ?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

FAT DUCK

AFTER JAPAN YOU MOVE TO ENGLAND AND WORK AT THE FAT DUCK….

KYLE, AGAIN…..SAME SETUP AS BEFORE….GIVE US A BEHIND THE SCENES….OF YOUR TYPICAL DAY THERE….TO GET THE OVERALL FEELING OF THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE…

[[KYLE DISCUSSES]]

IS THERE ONE MOMENT FROM YOUR TIME AT THE FAT DUCK THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU….MAYBE ONE WHERE YOU SAY…. “I’M REALLY PROUD OF THAT….. 

[[KYLE DISCUSSES]]

WHEN ASKED ABOUT YOUR TIME THERE….IN A PREVIOUS ARTICLE YOU SAID QUOTE: 

“THE BIG TAKEAWAY WAS ABOUT CONTEXT. ABOUT HAVING A REALLY GOOD STORY THAT YOU COULD CONNECT PEOPLE WITH.”

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR TIME THERE….. AND WHERE YOUR LIFE IS TODAY…WOULD YOU SAY THAT CONTEXT…STORIES…AND CONNECTING TO PEOPLE…. ARE WOVEN INTO WHAT YOU’VE CREATED AT SINGLETHREAD ?

[[KYLE DISCUSSES]]

TRUE

HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE NAVIGATING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THIS INDUSTRY….?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

OPENING

I’D LIKE YOU TO TAKE ME BACK IN TIME…. TO THE DAY THAT YOU OPENED YOUR RESTAURANT.

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHAT OPENING DAY WAS LIKE …..AND WHAT THE TRANSITION INTO THE FIRST TWO YEARS WAS LIKE ?……..WHAT HURDLES….AND HIGHLIGHTS….STAND OUT TO YOU ?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

20

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR 20 YEAR OLD SELF ?….MAYBE IT’S ADVICE, A THOUGHT….OR A FEELING….….

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

TRIP

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR LIFE WHAT’S ONE TRIP THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THAT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE…THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL TRIP….. OVERSEAS…..OR HERE IN THIS COUNTRY….IT COULD BE A TRIP CLOSE TO HOME….. OR….MAYBE IT’S A GOOD MEMORY….LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…….OR…..IT COULD BE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP…..  

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

FLY

IF I WAS A FLY ON THE WALL….WHAT WOULD I SEE IN YOUR LIFE….THAT NOBODY SEES OR HEARS ABOUT….BASICALLY, WHAT DO FEEL IS OVERLOOKED ABOUT YOU….THAT YOU’D LIKE THE WORLD TO KNOW ?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

NEXT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ?.... WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW ? ….WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED FOR IN THE MONTHS TO COME ?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

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

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA 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….

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA 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 OR FARMING…. 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?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

REMEMBERED

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM 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 ….…

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA DISCUSSES]]

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

[[KYLE AND/OR KATINA 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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