Co-Owner of The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group

When we opened Fifty/50 in 2008, Rich Melman visited our restaurant for dinner. Keep in mind, it was just at the beginning of what became known as the Great Recession, and I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it. I felt defeated in a lot of ways. His advice was to focus on making one thing better every day and that over time, the restaurant would continue to grow if I did that. Not one day has gone by that I allow myself to go to sleep without improving at least one thing in the restaurant or one of my employees’ lives.

I think it’s a mistake to get into the restaurant industry if you do not love it. It’s a hard business, wrought with failure, and I carry the weight of every one of my employees’ livelihoods on my shoulders; I’m not sure that anyone should work for someone who doesn’t feel that way. I think that the Fifty/50 Group is striving towards a bigger purpose, something bigger than myself or my business partner, and that drives me.

I’m not sure that I have a healthy work/life balance. With that said, I spend ample time with my friends and family. When I was working, mostly at night, I’d invite them to the restaurant. As my organization has grown, I pick and choose when I work nights and weekends; I don’t just work to work. I do recognize that when I have a restaurant opening, I’m going to be working days, nights, and weekends for a while.

It’s always dependent on the position, but the common element that I look for in new hires is emotional maturity. I also love talking to people with an entrepreneurial spirit. Those are the kind of people that I want to join my organization. I can teach technical skills.