You need it especially if this awesome chef is around! (Image Credit and thanks to Hell’s Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay)
As you may already know, lately (quite late actually) I have got right into Gordon Ramsay. He has his crazy antics, his whacky moves, bizarre statements of raw steak ‘still mooing’ and it’s been just a pleasure to watch.
Beyond the humour, him going crazy and the like – lives a very good natured man who is incredibly intelligent, hardworking and someone you can tell that genuinely wants people to succeed. I see him as a good man who believes in the stick more than the carrot – but still if I saw him in the street, I would ask him for an autograph ready to run.
He gives advice to people that at the time you kind of dismiss, but as you think about it – it’s a bit like “wow that is actually quite profound”.
Gordon has dropped many of these great phrases on me and one I really like is when he basically says:
You got to have a thick skin to succeed in the kitchen.
I can relate to that actually in my own business and the mean streets of Sydney. Even though I have held down some very impressive corporate roles, I actually had very thin skin when I came to Sydney. Almost everything would upset me, but after 5 years in business I can tell you that I have thick skin.
From people threatening to sue me over the frivolous, say they hate me on social media, to those scum bags who say I am awesome but then change their tune when they receive an invoice – I have seen lots of crazy stuff and have been on the receiving end of many things.
And guess what? It’s awesome and I have thick skin now after all the years I have been through. Sure, I may get upset at times – but overall, I feel good, I am in the zone and you get used to keeping going against negative information.
I actually don’t have much negativity thrown my way anymore, or perhaps I maybe just don’t notice it anymore (or perhaps it’s a bit of both). Either way in business, you gotta have thick skin.
Very few of us start off with thick skin, so it’s our job to build it and develop it as time passses.
My advice and thinking? Getting thick skin takes time, punishment and pain – but it’s awesome. As you get tougher, you get more done and you become inspiration for others who are behind you. That’s pretty cool.
Thank you Gordon Ramsay! You rock and your messages are great.
Here’s to the kitchen of our fine businesses!
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