Thoughts on Intentional Living
Thailand is an amazing country, and the food is a big reason why.
The dishes are well-seasoned with fresh herbs and local spices, the best meals are extremely affordable (I’m talking $5 for a life changing meal), and there’s a cultural story behind every dish.
[Read more…]“First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do. For in nearly every pursuit we see this to be the case. Those in athletic pursuit first choose the sport they want, and then do that work.”
– Epictetus, Discourses, 3.23.1-2a
“So what’s your backup plan? Everyone wants to get into the Business School.”
First month of freshman year, Ogg Hall West. Some kids on my floor were trading notes on how things were going so far when someone asked what we all planned to major in.
I brought up my plan to study business, and one of the kids smirked and let me know it was a really competitive process. Then he dropped a snide reply along the lines of, “yeah, get in line bud.”
He had a point, but I wasn’t having any of his pessimism.
“I’m going to get in,” I responded. “I’m just not going to give them a reason to deny me.”
[Read more…]It’s hard to think clearly when we’re hungry.
Laugh when we feel threatened.
View ourselves positively when we have no friends.
Our basic needs must be taken care of before we can work on becoming the person we want to be.
The same is true for any business. The most ambitious owner or manager still has to satisfy a handful of fundamental “lower level” operational requirements before they can focus on “higher level” priorities for the business.
The pain of unsatisfied needs is even more acute in the restaurant world. There’s a tangible hierarchy to the needs required to operate a brick-and-mortar business that any manager will feel immediately the moment there’s a crack in the foundation. Similar to how we find it difficult to think and focus when we’re really hungry, a restaurant business owner finds it extremely difficult to work at higher levels of the business when a lower level operational gap exists.
[Read more…]Anthony Bourdain’s suicide hit me pretty hard last week.
This was partly because he was the celebrity we all wanted to be. Who wouldn’t want to travel the world eating great food for their own TV show? He seemed to have life figured out, having overcome drug addiction, and dedicating himself to connecting people and cultures through food and storytelling. Bourdain was so good at what he did, and so universally liked and respected, that I don’t know anyone who could say a bad thing about the guy.
After spending my whole life with short hair, I decided to grow it all out in the fall of 2013. Predictably, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “Why did you decide to grow it out?” I’ve been meaning to tell this story for some time, so for those who were wondering, enjoy!
I was sitting in a movie theater when the idea came to me. [Read more…]
I’m a huge fan of routine.
It helps you achieve, learn, and stay focused. It keeps you energized to pour all your effort into the activities that matter most. Repeating the same habits and behaviors—without thinking—enables you to become expert in your craft. Routine enables the process of deliberate practice, which is where world class skills are born.
But I’m also a firm believer in growth. That we should consistently strive to become the best version of ourselves we possibly can. [Read more…]
The preparation is what allows the success to happen naturally.
– Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs pitcher, after throwing his second no-hitter in less than a year on 4/21/16
As I type this sentence, I’m sitting on a plane following the reverse route of a trip I took six and a half years ago.
It was on the first leg of a two-flight trip out to the Bay Area that I found myself in a conversation I still think about whenever I prepare for something important. [Read more…]
When I graduated college to begin my career in product management, I remember wondering what my role would be within the company I was joining. This curiosity had less to do with the responsibilities of a product manager than understanding how I would be judged and evaluated as an employee.
How will I be evaluated?
What are they really paying me to accomplish?
How will I know I’m doing a good job? [Read more…]
I did not want to go to this dinner at all.
It was late on a lazy Sunday afternoon, after an extremely busy week. I was sprawled out on the couch, tired and content, watching the Golden State Warriors go for history as they tried to win their 72nd regular season game. The last thing I wanted to do was leave my apartment, but duty was calling—a good friend was leaving town for several months of travel, and he had organized a last-minute going away dinner with his closest friends in SF.
My intuition was screaming “stay at home!” for so many reasons. I was tired and feeling antisocial. A game that promised to be an instant classic was tied at halftime. And the restaurant my friend chose was pricey and featured small plates. The only reason I went was to hang out with my buddy one last time before he left town.
And it was definitely the right decision. [Read more…]
Anyone who aspires to start their own business should read the book Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business by Paul Downs. It’s an honest, no-BS account that details a year in the author’s life running his own small business, Paul Downs Cabinetmakers in Bridgeport, PA.
Paul’s story is raw, fascinating, and a far cry from the typical glossy narratives we read about in entrepreneurship magazines. He’s open about his successes and failings as a boss and business owner, providing a practical lens into what it’s really like to run a small business. [Read more…]