Chef / Owner of PP Hospitality Group

Early in my career I was once told by my boss that he thought I did not belong in this business. He almost had me believing it – that's actually when I KNEW it was where I belonged. I knew I would never change careers! I knew he was wrong and I proved it.

Training can't be emphasized enough TRAIN TRAIN your people always.

The industry is not nearly as hard as some people make it. A victim's mentality never works. This IS the greatest business in the world. I love helping others realize their own possibilities.

Some people are drainers and will do just that. Drain you! Others inspire, challenge and help you get better, achieve more, pour into you. Seek those kinds of people and work to be one of them as well.

We are a tight knit bunch with a private Facebook Group for team communication and education. We are not only closed for the big holidays, but also on Memorial Day and Labor Day so our crew can go out like "normal" people and BBQ, etc.. And we have a big Christmas party where everyone gets a present and we all can eat and have a blast together. Since COVID, I have also begun purchasing rental properties and gearing toward helping team members to get affordable, quality housing.

To me, work/life balance can be a misleading term. People think of a scale and everything being 50/50 – it's not that easy. Success in our industry is demanding. Success personally is as well. I think of it in terms of focus. Focus on what will bring success in business and create teams to help with the work. Life for me comes from prioritizing what is important and giving the time and energy I have to that. Too many Chefs or operators may suffer in their personal or family life. When you pour so much into your career you have to do the same in your outside life. If you tell yourself you have to go "unwind" after work with a few beers and chill, then you sleep in and miss opportunities. Some hobbies will have to go by the wayside, focus on what really matters in and out of your work life and pour deep into those important things. You don't have the luxury of time to waste in our industry.

I'm always chatting with my peers and mentors. Many of my industry friends often collaborate about all things industry.

Podcasts are amazing and there is one for everyone. Gary Vee has been incredible, "Bigger Pockets," Grant Cardone, and mine of course, "The Raw Ingredients."

Toast POS in conjunction with Restaurant 365 are key to our financial and operational success. Also, weekly inventory and P&Ls, Flags for price deviation / violations keep us on top of food cost. The accuracy and efficiency of our Controller and auditors give us the opportunity to focus on the food and hospitality, while still getting quality information to run profitably.

This past September our beloved brand, Ed's Seafood Shed had a devastating fire. Although it was a long standing brand with a great history, we decided to relocate it for long term success. However in the location where the fire occurred we are in the process of rebranding and upscaling this waterfront location. There is an abundance of southern fried seafood places on the Causeway so we decided instead of re-opening Ed's which is heavily fried seafood, we wanted to go more upscale with cleaner roasted seafood over open fire, with great caramelization and more creative dishes. So we will be launching FIRE on the Causeway early 2023.

My PR Foundation, created with my great friend Robert Kabakoff raises money and helps adults with disabilities, veterans and no-kill shelters in our local markets. Currently we are building a home for a young couple with some developmental disabilities. Pretty amazing stuff that the whole community is helping with.

The non-profit, philanthropic group I helped co-found called The Messlords, travels the globe cooking for, and boosting morale for our US service men and women. The group involved has made this an amazing experience for everyone.

Growing a company and growing it properly and profitable requires a great team. Bringing on Nick Dimario as a business partner has been the best thing I have done since attending the CIA!

For inspiration, I look to podcasts and books (on audio). Watching others succeed also provides me with so much motivation and inspiration. Sometimes just trying something and pulling it off is incredible inspiration. For example, I just wrote a book called "Spatula Success" and I can't wait for it to drop!

High standards are the key to success.

Be adaptable. You have to be open to learning new things and hungry to learn them.

When hiring, an applicant’s energy is so Important. Also, a great attitude and a caring heart goes a very long way with me. Skills can be taught, attitude and energy you have to bring!

The amazing thing is that our industry has ALWAYS BEEN VERY DIVERSE, which has made it easy to champion having leaders in my growing company that represent all walks of life!

For my own constant self-evaluation and growth, reading books, listening to podcasts and attending seminars have helped me so much in professional and leadership development.

Right out of high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life or for a career. My Dad suggested I meet with some people teaching Hospitality Management and a light went off. I had worked in the biz since I was fourteen, but it was a summer, weekend and night job. I never thought of it as a career. Then Mike Hurst, a legend in the industry, spoke to me about the CIA and after a visit there I knew.

My Internship at the Culinary Institute of America taught me the beginnings of people management. I had the ability to try different management styles and methods. Opening my own business has been life changing. The pressure to learn, excel, and succeed is so powerful.

Show up, work hard, be a team player.