Last week I received a wonderful invite to the Good Food and Wine Show's Trade Talk. I was quite excited as several well established professionals were speaking. I sat front row like the nerd I am - all the better to hear and see all! The talk covered a few topics, including business, creativity and finding your passion. Even more suited to me than I first thought. I have several clients in the food / hospitality industry so I thought it very relevant to attend. Regardless of that I found the panel discussion so interesting and inspiring!
I took detailed notes and summarised them into quick short bursts of info - easy to put into practice and remember. What I particularly loved was how honest all these wonderfully successful people were and how they spoke from personal experiences. Happy reading!
The venue was really dark so I didn't get any clear snaps of the chefs talking. I did spot a few colourful and beautiful items while walking around to add some colour to this post. Daniela's Macarons, Tea Merchant tea pot, The Coffee Theatre's biscuits & a colourful cake from Chilli Chocolate Chefs.
Think big, start small.
Don't create barriers for yourself - a common problem for creatives. Get going and make that crucial start.
Do things well, represent your brand through all you do.
You will have to bust your ass (said in a fantastic NY accent). You will be working when others are having a good time.
Self-taught skills are driven by passion.
There is so much opportunity in South Africa for entrepreneurs (something I think we often forget).
Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Find people who support your vision.
Do what you love and follow your dreams.
He was particularly inspiring and spoke a great deal about developing your own successful career. I got to speak to him afterwards and was truly amazed at how open he was to helping people and sharing his knowledge.
What are you good at? Define what you want to do and go after it.
There will be disappointments, but it's how you choose to deal with these will set you apart.
Embrace opportunities, ask questions, keep on learning, be adventurous (all things that will help you achieve your dreams).
A few final thoughts...
A common thread was the fact that money can't be your only driving force as you build your business or career. This is always a tough fact to face as society reflects the opposite. As creative business owners we have to realise that building a successful business has different facets.
The second common thread was the concept of setting goals and actually planning ahead in order to achieve them. This is something I teach at my workshops and it was great to have this concept validated further.
Everyone was truly inspiring and their stories were all so varied, but one thing they all have in common is that they worked very hard to get where they are.