Chef Paul Liebrandt: A Conversation From New York City

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF PAUL LIEBRANDT.

HE JOINS US FROM NEW YORK CITY.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DESCRIBE CHEF LIEBRANDT….

HE’S AN AUTHOR…..THE YOUNGEST CHEF TO EARN THREE STARS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES…….AND …..THE TITLE STAR….. OF THE HBO EMMY-NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY…. A MATTER OF TASTE: SERVING UP PAUL LIEBRANDT….

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

HIS JOURNEY TO THE PRESENT MOMENT….

AND……WE EXPLORE THE IDEA OF BEING SATISFIED WITH WHAT IS….WHILE… REACHING FOR MORE…. 

PLUS….WE TALK ABOUT WHAT’S NEXT…. FOR CHEF LIEBRANDT….

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 LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

OPENING

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

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

NYT

AT 24 YOU WERE THE YOUNGEST CHEF TO WIN THREE STARS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES….THE CRITIC DESCRIBED YOU AS QUOTE:

“A HIGHLY REVVED CULINARY ENGINE… THAT MAKES YOU… USE TASTE BUDS… THAT OTHER CHEFS IGNORE.”

HOW DID YOUR 24 YEAR OLD SELF FEEL…. READING THAT REVIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME ?

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT 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….

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

MISUNDERSTOOD

HAVE YOU EVER FELT MISUNDERSTOOD… BY CRITICS, CUSTOMERS, INVESTORS, CO-WORKERS….OR ANYONE IN OUR INDUSTRY….AT ANY POINT IN YOUR CAREER ? 

MAYBE YOU NEVER HAVE….OR PERHAPS YOU’VE EXPERIENCED THIS MANY DIFFERENT TIMES….

IF THE ANSWER IS YES….I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE A TIME THAT STICKS OUT IN YOUR MIND….MAYBE A MEMORY THAT HAS STAYED WITH YOU….A MOMENT THAT HAS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE….A TURNING POINT PERHAPS….OR MAYBE A TIME THAT YOU WALKED AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCE… WITH A GREAT LESSON….

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

TRUE

HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE NAVIGATING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A CHEF?

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

MARCO PIERRE WHITE

YOU WORKED WITH CHEF MARCO PIERRE WHITE….WHAT’S THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY THAT YOU LEARNED FROM HIM….THAT STILL POSITIVELY INFLUENCES YOUR LIFE TODAY… 

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

20

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

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

CHEF GOLDFARB

WHEN I INTERVIEWED CHEF WILL GOLDFARB….HE  SAT HERE AND LOOKED BACK AT SOME GREAT MEMORIES…. ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE KITCHEN TOGETHER…

WHAT’S ONE MEMORY WITH CHEF GOLDFARB….. THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ? 

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT 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…..  

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

DOCUMENTARY

…. A MATTER OF TASTE: SERVING UP PAUL LIEBRANDT….IS A DOCUMENTARY THAT YOU STAR IN …..IT WAS RELEASED IN 20-11….

THIS IS BEFORE CHEF’S TABLE ON NETFLIX…..A CONCEPT THAT IS NOW VERY MAINSTREAM….

MORE THAN A DECADE LATER….LOOKING BACK…..HOW HAS THIS FILM AFFECTED YOUR LIFE ?..... OR MAYBE….YOU FEEL THERE WAS NO IMPACT AT ALL…..

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

SATISFACTION

HERE’S AN ESTHER HICKS QUOTE THAT I WANT TO EXPLORE WITH YOU:

“THE REASON YOU WANT EVERY SINGLE THING THAT YOU WANT, IS BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU WILL FEEL REALLY GOOD WHEN YOU GET THERE.

BUT IF YOU DON’T FEEL REALLY GOOD ON YOUR WAY THERE…YOU CAN’T GET THERE. YOU HAVE TO BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT IS…WHILE…YOU ARE REACHING FOR MORE.”

YOU’VE ACHIEVED A LOT OF RECOGNITION AND ACCOLADES….MORE THAN SOME PEOPLE WILL EVER ACHIEVE DURING THEIR LIFETIME…

DOES THIS QUOTE ABOUT THE JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE RESONATE WITH YOU?

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT 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 ?

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

NEXT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ?.... WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW ? ….WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED FOR IN THE MONTHS TO COME ? ….THIS COULD BE CONNECTED TO YOUR PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL LIFE…..

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

BOOK

IN THE LAST YEAR, WHAT BOOK STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND….. THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE THE MOST… ?

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

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

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

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

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT 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 LIEBRANDT 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 LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

REMEMBERED

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT 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 ….…

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT DISCUSSES]]

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

[[CHEF LIEBRANDT 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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