Brooks Reitz, Founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. and Partner at Little Jack's Tavern and Leon's Oyster Shop in Charleston, shares his career timeline and words of advice for up-and-coming professionals.

A mentor helped me understand that in order to achieve my goals, I had to take a step back and manage a team from afar. In order to open more than one restaurant, I had to remove myself from the daily, on-the-ground operations and focus on managing our managers, not managing the restaurants.

Two things I cannot live without are my computer and a strong WiFi signal.

At 24 I was promoted to General Manager of Proof, the restaurant at the original 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville. I was totally green and in hindsight, grossly underqualified for the job, but they took a chance on me. That role was priceless in my development because I made a lot of mistakes at an early age and was able to learn how to cultivate a team and guide them - and I learned what not to do, all in a busy restaurant with 3 services every day, room service, and events. It was a huge undertaking and gave me the confidence I needed to manage a larger team. I also met my mentor there, and he has remained a friend and trusted advisor to this day.

I look for a natural warmth and positive energy. This is critical for guest interaction and for developing and managing a team. The hard skills can be taught.