You may have been fed the thought that opportunity is something that is given to us.
That is… bullshit.
If you want more opportunities in life, you need to create them.
I’ve dedicated the last four years of my life to studying how the most successful restaurant professionals in the world got to the top.
Successful people don’t get to the top by being handed opportunities; they live intentionally and create their own opportunities.
If you’re not proactive, you’re reactive.
Most people live in a never-ending state of reaction. Successful people make the world react to them. The first step to living intentionally and proactively is having a vision, mission, goal, or ANYTHING to work toward. You can’t be proactive if you don’t know the what, where, or why that is behind the work you’re doing.
What is your vision? What do you want to spend your life doing? How much money do you want to earn? Where do you want to do it? Whom do you want to do it with? Do you want to leave this world better than when you entered it?
Now that you have your vision, you’ve got to develop a strategy to get there.
THE BEST STRATEGY TO GET AHEAD IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IS TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE BEST AT WHAT THEY DO.
That’s it. Pretty easy, right?
AAAWWWW HECK NO.
It is the most difficult thing you’ll ever have to do, and it will take years, decades, maybe even a lifetime to make happen. But yeah, conceptually… it is that easy.
So what’s the best method for surrounding yourself with incredible people who can give you the knowledge and skills to get to where you want to be in life?
You can’t expect to get anything in life unless you GIVE FIRST.
But, Eric… I have nothing to give.
What if I told you we were all born into this world with the most valuable asset of all? We all have it, and we were all born with the same amount of it.
TIME.
We’re all given 24 hours in a day. It is the ultimate equalizer, and the most successful people in the world are that way because they know time is their most important asset.
If you want to start living intentionally, be deliberate with whom you give your time to.
I’ve lost count of the amount of successful restaurateurs who told me they worked for FREE and were willing to do ANYTHING to just be in the company of a chef or restaurateur who could teach them something.
Do whatever it takes to surround yourself with people who can get you where you want to be.
Here is your call to action.
Now that you have your vision, think of the person or restaurant that can give you the skills to make that vision come true.
Go there and ask for a job doing the dirtiest, nastiest thing possible. If they’re not hiring, offer to do it for free.
DO ANYTHING to surround yourself with people who will lift you up with positive energy and knowledge.
Once your foot is in the door, over-deliver. GIVE way more than what’s asked from you. If they weren’t hiring, watch how fast they offer you a job.
Don’t wait to be taught something—ask questions. Be curious. Take initiative. Continue to over-deliver again.
Then all of a sudden you’ll begin to see how “lucky” you are to have all of these opportunities come your way.
Repeat this process until you’ve reached your destination.