Chef & Owner of Kinship Butcher & Sundry

Skills in my opinion matter much less than character. Determination, an inquisitive mind and compassion are the most important traits that beget skills. The hospitality industry is not an easy one as everyone knows. However, there are many paths in hospitality and all necessitate determination. I will never stop learning in this field, there will also never be an end to the amount of new information to come across.

Early in my career, it was all new and every day brought new inspiration. As you progress in your career, the novel no longer comes immediately to you, you have to seek it out or risk stagnation and lack of inspiration. Often overlooked in the past, compassion is the chief component of all my future endeavors. To be able to see a situation from another viewpoint and to assess how you might be able to help others in their life, career or understanding builds greater trust, better business and better lives for everyone.

To keep a team inspired, motivated and educated, you must lead by example. If I wish to inspire perfection, I also have to strive for perfection in every minute task. If I want to inspire creativity, I must remain creative, foster it in others and provide a space for others to express themselves. Providing education, or avenues to it is a huge concern for me. I didn’t attend culinary school and as such I learned through working, practicing and honing my skills in the kitchens where I was fortunate enough to be allowed to learn and grow. The access to information whether it be trading cookbooks -- like playing cards -- as I did early in my career, farm visits, or taking the time to explain why you need to do a technique a certain way rather than demanding that it be done just that way, is paramount to my evolution and the industry’s evolution.