1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: I'm not the world's greatest cook, but I definitely score 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: AE plus four enthusiasm. During Melbourne's three lockdowns last year, 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: experimenting in the kitchen became a bit of a hobby, 4 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: perhaps not surprisingly, I love watching a great cooking demo, 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: and in Australia, it doesn't get much better than Master Chef. 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: At the time, the finale of season two of Master 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: Chef was the second highest rated show ever, watched by 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: over five million people. And if you are a fan 9 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: of Master Chef, you will of course be familiar with 10 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: Gary Meagan. 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: But what you're probably not familiar with. 12 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 1: Is his life outside of Master Chef, Like what the 13 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: most valuable tips his business coach gave him when he 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: was busy running restaurants, what actually goes into writing a 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: successful cookbook, and how Gary bounced back from the very 16 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: public ending to his role on Master Chef. I'm doctor 17 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: Amantha Invert. I'm an organizational psychologist and the founder of 18 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: behavioral science consultancy in Ventium, and this is how I 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: work a show that helps you do your best work. 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: It's such a busy man. Gary usually only has limited 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: time to spend cooking at home. So we start by 22 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: talking about Gary's tips for being efficient in the kitchen. 23 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 3: I'm lucky being a professional. Like most things I do, 24 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 3: I have to do in like twenty minutes, you know, 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 3: Otherwise I think it takes far too long. I suppose 26 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 3: the key is if you buy, and it sounds really cliche, 27 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 3: but if you buy really good produce, really beautiful ingredients, 28 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 3: then anything's easy because you don't have to do much 29 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 3: to it to make it beautiful. And for many I 30 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 3: suppose that's a bit silly because they go, come on gas. 31 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 3: You know, we're not lucky enough to spend time going 32 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 3: to the farmer's market and checking the provenance of our 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 3: eggs and milk and all those kind of things. But 34 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 3: they're really important to me. I suppose. Second is a 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 3: little bit of planning. Some people shop for the whole week. 36 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 3: I tend to buy two to three days worth, so 37 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 3: everything's really fresh and I've got something clear in my 38 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 3: mind that I'm going to make. And other things, I suppose, 39 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 3: in terms of tips and tricks, things like a pressure cooker, 40 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 3: which for some strange reason some people are still scared 41 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 3: of because they've got these memories that I don't know 42 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 3: or idea that it's going to explode, or memories from 43 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 3: having trouble dealing with a fresh cooker. But you know 44 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 3: it turns, It turns stews and bolonnaise and things that 45 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 3: normally take hours into a twenty minute exercise, you know. 46 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 3: So you know, put everything in the pot, put the 47 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 3: lid on, bring it up to pressure, and you know, 48 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 3: in ten minutes you've got a bomin a source that 49 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 3: feels like it's sort of tastes like it's been you know, 50 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 3: cooking for an hour and a half. So you know, 51 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 3: they're kind of it, I suppose, and most people don't 52 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 3: have that many recipes at their fingertips, you know, like 53 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 3: when they do the studies, they know that people probably 54 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 3: just have on rotation about ten recipes that become family 55 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 3: favorites that they do it over and over again. And 56 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 3: I suppose to get in that it's called it a rut. 57 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 3: It sounds dramatic, but you know that's what it is. 58 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 3: So people eat tend to eat the same things on 59 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 3: the same days of the week, just because it's a habit, 60 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 3: the same way that when you go to the supermarket, 61 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 3: you tend to chuck the same things in the shopping 62 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 3: basket because it's habit or because it's easy, and often 63 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 3: those aren't the quickest and easiest recipes that are out there, 64 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 3: you know. And as much as we will buy food 65 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 3: magazines and things like that, you know, we're not logging 66 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 3: it and trying things new all the time. So I 67 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 3: suppose they're the key, you know, is have a little 68 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 3: catalog of recipes that you know that you have on 69 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 3: rotation and that encourage you to buy different things. 70 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: Now, is there a kitchen prep that maybe we can 71 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: do once a week, for example, to save time during 72 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: the week. 73 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you can. I mean you can take 74 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 3: it to extremes. I mean I know people that are 75 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 3: really fussy about what they eat and they prep meals 76 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 3: in advance. I mean, you know, it's one of the 77 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 3: you know, go to pieces of advice for not snacking, 78 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 3: isn't it to make sure that you cook a little 79 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 3: extra and you tub it up and you know you've 80 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 3: got a kind of portion controlled meal that you can 81 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 3: just grab and go. But I tend to find if 82 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: I buy, and this is just me, if I tend, 83 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: I tend to buy things that are are fresh and 84 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 3: so they don't need a lot of sorting or picking 85 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 3: or you know, going through I have little standbys like 86 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 3: at amami and you know, frozen corn and peas in 87 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 3: the freezer. I have things like particular brands of things 88 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 3: that I know work really well, you know, like I 89 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 3: buy a roty bread for example, or a Paratha bread 90 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 3: that I get at the local Asian shop that it's 91 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 3: just a winner, and that's trial and error, you know. 92 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 3: I have things like particular dumplings that I've through trial 93 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 3: and error, I've picked the best one. I know they're 94 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 3: great in they're standby meals. And I tend to be 95 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 3: in a bit of a habit where I cook a 96 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 3: little bit of extra of everything. So if I cook 97 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 3: brown rice, cook maybe two portions more than I need, 98 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 3: and then that goes in the fridge, and I know 99 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 3: that if I you know, if that if that's chickpeas 100 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 3: or quenewhile or brown rice or even a chicken for example, 101 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 3: I know that that get turned into a school meal 102 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 3: or another meal, you know, and then that can be 103 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 3: for example, in the summer, you can take that brown 104 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 3: rice and take that little bit of chicken and tease 105 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 3: it apart, put it in chuck in some you know, 106 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 3: some green beans or some tomatoes, and then you've got 107 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 3: some you got a salad for the next day. I 108 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 3: suppose to make things easier too. I've got a whole 109 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 3: top shelf full of condiments, things like mayonnaise, you know, 110 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 3: or keupie mayonnaise, or chili condiments like chili oil or 111 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 3: that you know, grumpy grandmother chili oil that's delicious on everything, 112 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 3: and things like pickles and things like saur kraut, which 113 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 3: most people what are you talking about? But all of 114 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 3: these are kind of little flavor boosters that turn kind 115 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 3: of the ordinary into something really special it's or something 116 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 3: really tasty. 117 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 2: I'm getting hungry just listening to this. 118 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 3: Okay, you're not easy, they're not easy answers most Oh 119 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 3: you're serious, I'm not doing all that. 120 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 2: No, I'm going to do all that now. You mentioned 121 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 2: the pressure cooker. 122 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: Are there any other appliances or tools that you have 123 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: in a kitchen that you absolutely love that help you 124 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: be more efficient when you're cooking. 125 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a couple. I mean, you know, a really 126 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 3: good blender, a liquidizer, hand blender, stick blender, whatever you 127 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 3: want to call it. You know, a Thermo mix is 128 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 3: kind of the top of the tree and for some 129 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 3: people that works brilliantly, but if you're a big family, 130 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 3: trying to cook in a Thermo mix is just a 131 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 3: waste of time. I mean, I've got a friend who 132 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,359 Speaker 3: saved apennies bought a Thermo mix, but she's got a 133 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 3: three growing girls and she said, I just can't use 134 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 3: half the recipes. And it's also it's a really damn 135 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 3: expensive and even as a professional, you know it has 136 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 3: specific uses. But I've got a vitem Ex blender that 137 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 3: was equally well, maybe not quite as expensive, but it 138 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 3: kind of does everything from you know the family love 139 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 3: you know, so smoothies or instant ice cream, you know 140 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 3: with frozen raspberries or liquid ied soups and things like 141 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 3: this that you know work really well as in every 142 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 3: day And a cheap little stick blender for eighty dollars 143 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 3: that's got a canistro onoe, it's got a whisk attachment. 144 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 3: Things like this make life easy. It's a bit like 145 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 3: your mum's old egg beaters, like it's kind of replaced 146 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 3: that as a multi purpose tool that does most things 147 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 3: that you need to make it easier on yourself. What 148 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 3: else I've got, I've got a good toasty machine for example. 149 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 3: I love that I've got a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, 150 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 3: and I've got things in the drawer like a microplane 151 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 3: for example, that's like a fancy greater but really good 152 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 3: for grading parmesan. Finally, or you know, making ginger carlic 153 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 3: paste because it's so it's so sharp and so efficient. 154 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 3: And a Japanese mandolin, which is a little dangerous. It's 155 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 3: kind of a fingertaker, but if you use the guard, 156 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 3: they're really good, and they're about sixty bucks, and you know, 157 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 3: the last your lifetime. 158 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: Now, I know that Paran Market is your favorite market, 159 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: and it's actually my favorite market too. So there we 160 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: go as like we've got something in common, but we 161 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: don't have cooking seals in common. Now, you mentioned that 162 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: one of your best tips for making meal prep more 163 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: efficient is just get great produce. So I want to 164 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: know what should I be doing when I next go 165 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: to Paran Market. How can I tell good produce from bad? 166 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 2: Project is? 167 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 3: I think to start off with, it's a good idea 168 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 3: for me always to say that not everybody's lucky enough 169 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 3: to have something like Pran or Preston or vic Market 170 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 3: on their doorsteps. Most of us, including myself, you know, 171 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 3: end up at the supermarket most of the time, and 172 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 3: it becomes easy and the only thing that I and 173 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 3: I don't have a problem with supermarkets, trust me. But 174 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 3: what you tend to find and what annoys me is 175 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 3: that it tends to be running the mill produce that 176 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 3: doesn't always last as long as it should or without 177 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 3: being too controversial, the sources, you know, the provenance of 178 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 3: those ingredients are complicated, which means that you can pick 179 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:39,719 Speaker 3: up a product just because you're in a hurry and 180 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 3: you don't know where it's from. And what I mean 181 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 3: by that is that you know, there are things out 182 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 3: of season. You know, like my wife remember years ago, said, oh, 183 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 3: look those cherries, they look lovely. I go, hey, it's 184 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 3: the middle of winter. Cherries don't exist in my world 185 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 3: in the middle of winter, and of course because they're 186 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 3: from California, or you know, the asparagus is still looking amazing, 187 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 3: and again it's you know, the middle of winter. We 188 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 3: don't grow asparagus in Victoria in winter. And so you know, 189 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 3: I want to buy local and I want to have 190 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 3: some kind of I want to feel a little responsible, 191 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 3: maybe a bit more than a little is a foodie, 192 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 3: but a little responsible about what I'm buying. And so 193 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 3: the best way for me to do that and to 194 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 3: connect is to know the people that I'm buying those 195 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 3: products from it and then they can give me advice, 196 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 3: whereas when I'm at the supermarket, no one's giving me advice, 197 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 3: or they're to sail. By the way, you can cook 198 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 3: it like this, or by the way, if you can't 199 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 3: find asparagus, why don't you buy this instead? It's equally 200 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 3: as good, or you can flex that into the recipe. 201 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 3: And that's what local trade is. That's what your local 202 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 3: butcher and your fishmonger and your cheesemonger, that's what they're 203 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 3: all there for. They love most of the time, not everybody, 204 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 3: but they love what they do and they're passionate about 205 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 3: what they do. So the prim market for me, then, 206 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 3: I probably said it before and maybe you've read it, 207 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 3: is that it doesn't feel like shopping to me. I 208 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 3: kind of go there and it's a little forage for ingredients, 209 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 3: even though I'm not really foraging, and it's a chat 210 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 3: with people of like mind, and I walk away f 211 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 3: from that, sometimes spending more money than I should do, 212 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 3: but knowing that everything I've got. I feel like I've 213 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 3: done the best thing by the environment, the grower, you know, 214 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 3: and the seller. 215 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: Now you've written several cookbooks, I want to know what 216 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: is what is your process for creating a cookbook. 217 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 3: I've written four. I've got one coming out soon, so 218 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 3: that'd be five. They tend to be, in all honesty, 219 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 3: and there's a different creative every time I've written a book. 220 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 3: The first one was just Actually the first one and 221 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 3: the third one were just I just wrote down recipes 222 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 3: that on my mind that I that I love. Comfort 223 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 3: food was just recipes that either had a close personal connection, 224 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 3: so maybe passed down through the family with my grandfather 225 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 3: was a chef for my mum, for example, and you know, 226 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 3: tweaked and adjusted, you know. I laugh always that some 227 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 3: of the recipes, like I've got my Dad's lardy cake 228 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 3: in one of the books, which is like a very 229 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 3: rich fruitcake, almost like a bubka. That Dad's version was 230 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 3: really quite heavy, and we used to eat it the 231 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 3: first day, but then it was almost inedible the second day. 232 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 3: So I fixed the recipe and made it delicious, and 233 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,319 Speaker 3: he was very proud of the fact that the recipe 234 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 3: was in there. And I never really told him the truth, 235 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 3: the harsh truth behind his bread experiments. But yeah, it's 236 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 3: very personal, you know. So comfort food and favorites were 237 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 3: a personal connection. And the first things on my mind 238 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 3: are things that I tend to cook regularly and every day, 239 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 3: or dishes that were in the restaurant that worked that 240 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 3: would work well at home. Middle two books I actually 241 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 3: did with George, and you know, the first book we 242 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 3: just creatively went. We had I think a four hour 243 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 3: flight to Perth and I think we just jotted we 244 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,959 Speaker 3: mapped out and jotted down the first book on that flight, 245 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 3: and it was really quite exciting. You know, we just went, ah, 246 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 3: what about that dish or what about that thing? Or 247 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,079 Speaker 3: what about that technique that we've got to include? Or 248 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 3: do you remember when we ate this or do you 249 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 3: remember when we you know, we made this dish together? 250 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 3: And so yeah, they all come from a slightly different 251 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 3: angle and that's what makes it interesting. And to be honest, 252 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,439 Speaker 3: the ideas easy and actually even writing the first draft 253 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 3: of the recipe is not that hard, but the slog 254 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 3: of it is actually in the second and third test 255 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 3: and then the editing where you've got to read through 256 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,199 Speaker 3: and check the recipe as meticulously and carefully as you can, 257 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 3: because little mistakes here and there add up, you know, 258 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 3: and it means that somebody somewhere has made your I 259 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 3: don't know scone recipe and realize that there's not quite 260 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 3: enough flour to make it the right consistency, you know. 261 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 3: And I remember one particular author put or missed eighty 262 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 3: It was eighty grams of wassabi for a particular dish 263 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 3: when it should have been eight. That's a different outcome entirely. 264 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 3: So you know, it's just food, right, It can't be 265 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 3: that important. But I think the River Cafe, which is 266 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 3: famous in London, and they and Ruth Rogers and Rose 267 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 3: Gray wrote a number of books. They have what's called 268 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 3: the Nemesis chocolate cake in their book. And the reason 269 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 3: it was the Nemesis is because in the first they 270 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:02,959 Speaker 3: didn't have enough flower in it. And they used to 271 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 3: have a very high faluting and posh clean tell that 272 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 3: all bought a book when it first came out because 273 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 3: they were big supporters. And then they said every Friday night, 274 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 3: guaranteed they get at least five or ten phone calls 275 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 3: of people going, well, I've got your chocolate cake in 276 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 3: the oven and it's not setting, and they just had 277 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 3: to very politely say and it never will until they 278 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 3: managed to do second edition and the recipe. 279 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, it takes proof reading to a whole 280 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:31,599 Speaker 1: other level, doesn't it. 281 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 3: And I hate it. It feels like as it goes 282 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 3: back to those that are good at it, you know, 283 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 3: they edit it on the other end, on the publisher's behalf, 284 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 3: but as it comes back to you that it feels 285 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 3: like a teacher from school, Redpenny, all of your homework. 286 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 2: Now, what makes a great cookbook? 287 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: And I asked this because I feel like whenever I 288 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: walk into my local bookshop, which I probably do once 289 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: or twice a week, I'm so tempted to just buy 290 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: lots of cookbooks and I have to stop myself. 291 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 2: But tell me what makes a great cookbook that's interesting? 292 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 3: I mean, I've got probably a close to a thousand 293 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 3: of them, you know, six wow, who knows? I mean, 294 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 3: they're just and to be honest, I don't need to 295 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 3: buy any more. I mean, every idea that I could 296 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 3: ever possibly think that I've reinvented is in one of 297 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 3: those cookbooks. And you know, it's probably equally, if not 298 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 3: better than the ones that I've come up with. But 299 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 3: it's I suppose it's horses for courses. It's first of all, 300 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 3: it's got to be easy to use, and it's got 301 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 3: to it's going to be something you're interested in. There's 302 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 3: no good you going and buying ten books on you 303 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 3: know that are going to look great on the coffee table. 304 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 3: But that's nice to I mean, if they look great 305 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 3: on the coffee table, do it. You can flick through 306 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 3: once in a while. But I suppose they've got you've 307 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 3: got to know that whatever's in those pages is something 308 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 3: that genuinely interests you. So you know, if you're a 309 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 3: barbecue fan or a curry fan or an Italian food fan, 310 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 3: that that's the first point of you know, that's the 311 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 3: first point of interest for me. And then they've got 312 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 3: to be easy to use, and they've got to look 313 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 3: at a recipe differently now than I did, say when 314 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 3: I first wrote a book. And it was actually Matt 315 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 3: President that told me, he goes, I hate bloody chefs 316 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 3: because what they do is they take and he was right. 317 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 3: They take recipes that they've used for years in the restaurants, 318 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 3: which are huge. You know, Like I remember my first, 319 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 3: you know, like you write your first bread recipe and 320 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 3: you take it from a twenty five kilo bag of 321 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 3: flour down to four hundred and fifty grams, And often 322 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 3: those recipes are quite confusing because it will say, I 323 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 3: don't know one hundred and seventy five grams of cream 324 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 3: cheese because you've reduced it from I don't know six 325 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 3: kilo or three kilo. But what that means is you've 326 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 3: got to go and buy a two hundred gram pack 327 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 3: of cream cheese. And then there there's always you know, 328 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 3: whatever it was. I can't remember what I said now, 329 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 3: but there's thirty five grams or twenty five grams of 330 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 3: boody cream cheese left, do you know what I'm saying. So, actually, 331 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 3: a really good cookbook is one that's been and I've 332 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 3: got and I'm guilty of doing that. Trust me. People 333 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 3: that are listening to this and go, I've got your 334 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 3: cookbooks and you've done the same thing. But as I've 335 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 3: written more, I've realized it's really important. Actually, the more 336 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 3: of recipe tested I've gone, Ah, for goodness sake, you know, 337 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 3: I've got one hundred mil of cream left out of 338 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 3: a six hundred mil you know, bawl of cream and 339 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 3: what am I going to do with it? Answer goes 340 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 3: in the bin. So now when I write a recipe, 341 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 3: I try to adjust it so that it is one 342 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 3: can for forty grams, or it's two hundred grams of 343 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 3: that cream cheese, and I adjust it so that there's 344 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 3: no leftovers. So that's I suppose they're a couple of pointers. 345 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 3: And a good cookbook shouldn't belong in a study on 346 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 3: the shelf. It belongs in the kitchen kind of getting 347 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 3: a little greasy and well thumbed through, and the stickiest 348 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 3: pages are obviously your favorite recipes. 349 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 2: What are like. 350 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: Two or three of your favorite cook books that just 351 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: have some good, classic meals that are not too difficult 352 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: to create? 353 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 3: Oh goodness, you know, Stephanie Alexander. I think Cook's Companion 354 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 3: is still a I always recommend that to young cooks 355 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 3: and two enthusiasts, you know, people that cook a home 356 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 3: a lot, because all of her recipes work brilliantly. They 357 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 3: were trying to tested many times, and they're kind of delicious, 358 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 3: homely recipes with one or two that are a bit fancy. 359 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 3: So that's definitely one and authors that I always you know, 360 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,679 Speaker 3: kind of click into our I suppose established authors that 361 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 3: we all know, you know, Maggie Beer for example, or 362 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 3: Neil Perry if you want a little trip into Asia, 363 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 3: where his enthusiasm for you know, Chinese recipes, particularly a 364 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 3: Seshue recipes or Southeast Asian recipes is obvious, and they're 365 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 3: pushed into an Australian around where the ingredients are easier 366 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 3: to find, or that the techniques make a little bit 367 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 3: more sense. So they're kind of when people ask me, 368 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 3: I go, well, first of all, what are you interested in? 369 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 3: Probably more pointed, what are you interested in? What do 370 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 3: you like cooking? You know, So if it's Italian, I'd say, 371 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 3: I don't know, buy one of Antonio Poluccio's books, you know, 372 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 3: and see how you go from there. 373 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: Now, if my research is correct, you were thirty one 374 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: when you started your first business Phoenix. 375 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 3: Is that correct? Yeah? About that? I kind of ignore 376 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 3: it now, it's too long ago. I was a good looking, 377 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 3: younger version of myself. 378 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 2: We all now. 379 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: I heard that you decided to get a business coach 380 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: fairly early. 381 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 2: On, and I want to know what were. 382 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: Some of the most helpful techniques that they taught you 383 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: that you put into practice. 384 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 3: I think accountability. Yeah, I know it sounds strange, but 385 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 3: you go into business for all sorts of reasons, and 386 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 3: most of the time they are actually nothing to do 387 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 3: with Possibly the real reason is should go into business? 388 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 3: I mean I read a book about two years after 389 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,919 Speaker 3: establishing Thanks called The e Myth by Gerber, and I 390 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 3: just went, ah, why didn somebody give you this five 391 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 3: years ago? You know where it talks about the entrepreneurial moment. 392 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 3: You know where you're often a hands on person. You're 393 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 3: a technician, you're a chef, you're a builder, you're a 394 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 3: carpenter in an accountant, and you decide you're sick to 395 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:54,880 Speaker 3: death of working from other people, and you want control 396 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 3: and you know, the ability to make your own way 397 00:18:57,640 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 3: in the world and make decisions, and so you go 398 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 3: into business. And then about a year or so in, 399 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 3: obviously you realize that you're trying to do everything, and 400 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 3: all those dreams and aspirations of being in control of 401 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 3: going out in the window. So I think the reason 402 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 3: we got a business coach in the first place is 403 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 3: because things Things started off brilliantly. We packed, you know, 404 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 3: we were getting good reviews, and then the hard yards 405 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,479 Speaker 3: kind of set in as the business settled down and 406 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 3: we realized that we just had not Even though from 407 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 3: a cooking perspective, a culinary perspective, which I later learned 408 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 3: should have just been a given, was all tick tock tick, 409 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 3: the other stuff was really hard, you know, whether it 410 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,439 Speaker 3: was managing people or keeping the finances on track. You know, 411 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 3: it could be the smallest thing, but it was just 412 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,640 Speaker 3: really difficult. So the business coach Idea came around, and 413 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 3: I suppose the biggest thing very quickly that he impressed 414 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 3: upon us was accountability and our accountability, not other people's 415 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 3: but ours. What were we responsible and accountable for? Like 416 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 3: what did we do in the business, and as partners, 417 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 3: because there were three of us at the time, how 418 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 3: do you divide those and how do you not crossover? 419 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 3: How do you not getting each other's way? And how 420 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 3: do you hold each other accountable and responsibility for the 421 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,919 Speaker 3: things that you'd set in place? And that took some 422 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 3: time to do, and it was also it was not 423 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 3: only challenging, but quite confronting because one of my business partners, 424 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 3: and I suppose quite rightly said, from his perspective, the 425 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 3: reason I went into business is not to be told 426 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 3: by somebody else what to do. But this guy was 427 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 3: really saying, Hey, you need to do this, you need 428 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 3: to do this, And it felt like not wanting to 429 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 3: use the back to school analogy, but it felt like 430 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 3: we were back and working for someone because all of 431 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,679 Speaker 3: a sudden we were holding each other responsible for our 432 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 3: roles and that was quite as I say, confronting. 433 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: Hey there, it is nearly time for a little ad break, 434 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: but can I ask a favor? If you are enjoying 435 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: How I work, I would love it if you could 436 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: take five seconds, literally five seconds, to hit pause and 437 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: write a little. 438 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 2: Review for the show. 439 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,479 Speaker 1: It's one of the best ways to help people find 440 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: how I work and help the show grow, which in 441 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: turn helps me get better guests for you to listen to. 442 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 2: Thank you in advance. 443 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: Okay, Gary is going to be back after this short 444 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: break talking about the best strategy that his business coach 445 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: ever gave him, and also how he bounced back from 446 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: the controversial end to his time on Master Chef. 447 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 2: Now, I believe that one. 448 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: Of the things that your business coach suggested that you 449 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: do was at the end of every day, there was 450 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 1: a simple one page to fill out. 451 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 2: Can you tell me about that. 452 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was one of the best tools that I 453 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 3: think I got, and it was a simple one pager. 454 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 3: It's a little bit of self analysis, I suppose, and 455 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 3: a quick reset for the following day. So meant, at 456 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 3: the end of the night, you go home and have 457 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 3: a cup of tea, and for a restaurant that's one 458 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 3: o'clock in the morning often, but to go home, have 459 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 3: a cup of tea, just you know, gather your thoughts 460 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 3: and kind of really answer a certain number of questions 461 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 3: and set a certain number of goals for the following day. 462 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 3: And when we say goals, i'm talking big ones. I'm 463 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 3: talking little ones. So details within the business, So it 464 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 3: could be you know, how was I you know, what 465 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 3: was the day like? How was I How do you 466 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 3: think I was perceived by the other staff members? You know, 467 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 3: was there anything that was on my mind that you know, 468 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 3: I probably reacted badly too, or that I reacted really 469 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 3: well to. So I sent in a sense the first 470 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 3: few lines and very quick with just a diary, and 471 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 3: the second one, the second and third I actually I 472 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 3: shouldn't number them because I won't be able to keep 473 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 3: up with the numbers. But it was essentially you know, 474 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 3: what do I need to achieve tomorrow? You know one 475 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 3: of my goals tomorrow? What a short term, long term? 476 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 3: What's the one thing I can do up and above 477 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,719 Speaker 3: while I do every single day that's going to make 478 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 3: a difference. And they're actually really hard to fill in 479 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 3: because you find that every day you're own the same 480 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 3: bloody thing down. You know, must do this, must I 481 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 3: don't know. I must get in touch with Telster and 482 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,159 Speaker 3: Rina goesh my, you know, my facility, or get in 483 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 3: touch with the bank. And you know, it's lots of 484 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,640 Speaker 3: things that you can write down. And of course most 485 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 3: business people are so busy putting out fires, you know, 486 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 3: I'm dealing with the every day that you just keep 487 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 3: writing the same things down over and over again. But 488 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,400 Speaker 3: it's a really good exercise in just trying to keep 489 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 3: you honest and to try and keep your focused because 490 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 3: you get oh my god, if I read that one 491 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,479 Speaker 3: line again, I am going to shoot myself, you know. 492 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 3: But also to touch points with stuff. So who am 493 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 3: I going to talk to, Who am I going to 494 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:32,920 Speaker 3: spend time with, Who I'm going to teach, and who 495 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 3: I'm going to who I'm going to set goals for? 496 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 3: So that I can follow those up. So then the 497 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 3: following day, obviously in the morning cup tea, coffee or 498 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 3: whatever it is, have a quick read of your summary 499 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 3: and then crack into the day and at night do 500 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 3: exactly the same thing. And the hardest thing is actually 501 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 3: just keeping momentum up on that simple one page, because 502 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 3: what it does, quite obviously is expose your weaknesses. So 503 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 3: you didn't spend time with job you know that day, 504 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 3: or you didn't spend time with Sarah that day, and 505 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 3: that you didn't set the goals and that you know, 506 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 3: it could be the first person I used to remember, 507 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 3: used to walk in every day and see Barbara, who 508 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 3: was the barista, and I must say to her, you 509 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 3: know a many coffee you're think we're going to sell today? 510 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 3: You know what do you reckon? Your opportunities could be 511 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 3: And they're big questions for Barbara. She doesn't really want 512 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 3: to get too stuck into it. But once you start, 513 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 3: you know, once you can turn around and goes you 514 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,640 Speaker 3: know what, I sold one hundred and fifty yesterday for lunch, 515 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 3: or I sold three hundred yesterday between you know, ten 516 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 3: and twelve. Then now we're starting to cotton onto something 517 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 3: that we're onto something good and that now now Barbara's 518 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 3: cooped into you know, the same goals as you've got, 519 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 3: which could be coffee, or it could be something completely different. 520 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 3: It could be gathering information from your customers. Hey, where 521 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,719 Speaker 3: are you from? I've seen you three times already. I'm 522 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 3: in the business next door fantastic and what's business name? 523 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 3: So then when I, you know, then have a chance 524 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 3: to speak to them, I go, so, where where did 525 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 3: you where did you pick up new business from today? 526 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 3: Or where did you notice your regulars were coming from? 527 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 3: And that becomes kind of crucial information and without that 528 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 3: go to piece of paper. And so when I got 529 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 3: lazy and didn't do it, I found that my performance 530 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 3: dropped off, and then my direction dropped off, and other 531 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 3: people's performance and directions dropped off too. 532 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 1: How long would you spend at the end of the 533 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: day completing this one page out? 534 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 3: Ten minutes at it's a cup of teas worth of writing. 535 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: Now, a few years after you started Phoenix, you added 536 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: TV career onto your the things that you were doing 537 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:30,359 Speaker 1: in terms of being a chef and also a businessman. 538 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: What was the most challenging part of becoming a household 539 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: name in Australia. 540 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 3: It was a very long slow burn. I mean Master 541 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 3: Chef was the start of really a proper television career, 542 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,479 Speaker 3: I mean mainstream prime time, which was very unexpected, and 543 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 3: that was two thousand and nine. So I started doing 544 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 3: little bits and pieces of television probably in nineteen ninety 545 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 3: six or ninety eight, and then then taking then starting 546 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 3: the business. It was a very you know, I kind 547 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 3: of read every started to read every management book and 548 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 3: business book or get my hands on and the common 549 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 3: theme is to become an expert in your field, to 550 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:16,679 Speaker 3: be the go to person in your field. And so 551 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 3: that was the idea. So we put her hands up, 552 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 3: you know, Ray and I put her hands up for 553 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 3: every food festival and you know, regional and major city 554 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 3: that we could think of. Wrote free editorial, you know, 555 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 3: for magazines. You know, I remember I wrote for m X, 556 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 3: which was like a free paper that used to give 557 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 3: away at Flanders station for like two years, just did 558 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 3: a little food column. You know. It was just a 559 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 3: way of getting your name out there and getting people 560 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 3: to go, oh, yeah, that's right, the guy's from Phoenix. 561 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,199 Speaker 3: Oh that's right, Gary from Phoenix, or that's right Ray 562 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 3: Compaldi from Phoenix, and so once you become a go to, 563 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,679 Speaker 3: then they're picking up the phone to provide a solution 564 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 3: for them. And it could be a food festival or 565 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 3: a food demo or a cooking school, or it could 566 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 3: be in my instant that somebody rang up and said, hey, 567 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:59,199 Speaker 3: have you done some TV? Before I go, yeah, I've 568 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 3: put some pieces. Could you do it three minute on 569 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 3: Bert Newton? Or could you do a segment on you know, 570 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 3: David and Kim. And then eventually out of that somebody 571 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 3: notices you and go, I reckon, you could do more 572 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 3: than this? How about this? And I think I did 573 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 3: Ready Steady Cook? And then I did a little show 574 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 3: called Boys Weekend and Good Chef, Bad Chef couple of 575 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 3: seasons with Janella Purcell. And then you're starting to make 576 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 3: some headway. And it wasn't It certainly wasn't. I didn't 577 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 3: want to really be on TV. It was more a 578 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 3: case of I want bums on seats in the restaurant. 579 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,679 Speaker 3: I want people to come to Phoenix before they go 580 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 3: to Gey Garossi for example, or to Peerl down the 581 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 3: road in Richmond. Because in business, as you know, everybody 582 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 3: listening to this is hard. So how do you get 583 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 3: your leg up? You know, how do you how do 584 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 3: you be? How do you become? I mean outside of 585 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 3: mormal Google searches and marketing and all the rest of 586 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 3: it's part of your strategy to get people to go 587 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 3: first person. In my head for a week, it was 588 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,199 Speaker 3: Phoenix because I've heard brilliant things and that guy's on 589 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 3: TV cooks really nice food. 590 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 2: What was that like? 591 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 3: Then? 592 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: When Master Chef took off, and I think from memory 593 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:13,959 Speaker 1: season two was like the highest rating TV show of 594 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 1: all time? 595 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 2: Is that right? 596 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: Yeah? 597 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 3: I suppose that's the Master Chef first season unknown for 598 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 3: all of us and was a massive success. And then 599 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 3: I suppose season two, we'd realize that we just chanced 600 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 3: on a second career. You know, I've viewed my television 601 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 3: and entertainment career, even though it's grounded in food, as 602 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 3: a second career, and there are certain skills and skill 603 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 3: sets that you need to you need to have to 604 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 3: be able to make that a success. And so that 605 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 3: was I think number one. I was old enough and 606 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 3: not embarrassed or self conscious anymore that I was prepared 607 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 3: to give anything a go and experience enough to feel 608 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 3: comfortable in the same way that opening a business around food. 609 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 3: That food should be a given. That's your skill set. 610 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 3: Why are you worrying about it too much? That food 611 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 3: was my skill set. Being on TV was now the challenge, 612 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 3: and I think, yeah, it was a massive change. I mean, 613 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 3: when you're the highest rating show ever on commercial freedomware television, 614 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 3: that's one hell of an achievement. And we remember, you know, 615 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 3: saying to one of the execut producers, think even in 616 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 3: year one when it went to air and the kind 617 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 3: of numbers that it was doing nightly were over two million, 618 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 3: and we're going, is this good? And they were. They 619 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 3: were all jumping for joy and fistfunding the air and saying, man, 620 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,360 Speaker 3: this is going to go on my growth. This is 621 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 3: completely unexpected, a primetime food show that had just captured 622 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 3: people's imagination. And so we were part of regardless of 623 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 3: the fact that we were the face of Mastership, part 624 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 3: of a very successful team, you know, that was just 625 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 3: very I mean to be honest, after and we did 626 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 3: that for eleven years, I think, fifteen series of Master Chef, 627 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 3: all up with All Stars and Junior Professional, etc. That 628 00:29:57,120 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 3: we were a well oiled machine and we were just three, 629 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 3: you know, very variably shaped Cobs in a very efficient 630 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 3: piece of television. 631 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: Now, I guess when you are so high profile, you 632 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: open yourself up for so much feedback, good and bad 633 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: from the public. And certainly, at the end of the 634 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: eleven years doing Master Chef, the ending, it wasn't great, 635 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: It wasn't great. 636 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 2: It certainly attracted a lot of media, and I want 637 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 2: to know, how did you cope with that? 638 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: What strategies did you use to be able to bounce 639 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: back from, you know, something so public. 640 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I don't think I've ever learned fully 641 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 3: to cope with it. It's just how seriously you take it. 642 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 3: I mean, I've always admired people in my business career 643 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 3: that are well above you know, like, let's say I 644 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 3: had three businesses at the height of my busyness and 645 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 3: all doing well and fairly big and lots of employees. 646 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 3: That there are people out there managing and running businesses 647 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 3: of thousands and thousands of employees. You know, people that 648 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 3: are dealing not with one lawsuit but with forty and 649 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 3: seemingly just being able to you know, that's part of 650 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 3: what they do. And I find those kind of individuals, 651 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 3: you know, when I've struggled in the past and taken 652 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 3: advice from people they said, well, expect that that's okay, 653 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 3: and ring fence that problem and work, use your brain, 654 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 3: use the rest of your brain to just focus on 655 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 3: what you know you can achieve. And it's a bit 656 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 3: the same, I suppose, much the same as the criticism 657 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 3: that we would have on Master Chef. Certainly, social media 658 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 3: has changed everything. I mean, you know your mother would 659 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 3: have said, oh, you don't want to know what everybody thinks, 660 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 3: or can you imagine if you knew what everybody thinks. Well, 661 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 3: now we know what everybody thinks. And it's horrible. It's 662 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 3: really horrible because the worst possible side of humanity is 663 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 3: there for everybody to see. And they will call you 664 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 3: anything with no regard for anything, you know, whether it's 665 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 3: how hard you've worked or the things that you hold important. 666 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 3: You know, where you've worked out professionally, feel you are, 667 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 3: or what you've achieved, and we will just give it 668 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 3: to you. And so that's hard. So even I think 669 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 3: by the time we left ten and we still get 670 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 3: it that there was a lot of controversy obviously around George, 671 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 3: and I think it was almost that was a proportion 672 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 3: of people whether they were fans or not. I tend 673 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 3: to think that they weren't, but just wanted to have 674 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 3: their say and just wanted to make sure we felt 675 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 3: shit about the whole thing, and what we had to 676 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 3: remind ourselves that it wasn't. The reason we left, regardless 677 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 3: of what was in the press, is that I think 678 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 3: it was almost a self fulfilling prophecy that what we 679 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 3: didn't want to do is continue to work as much 680 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 3: as we had, that we'd been on the show for 681 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 3: eleven years, and that it was probably close to time 682 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 3: that we passed abat non and that yes, you know, 683 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 3: it's always nice to be paid really well for what 684 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 3: you're doing, and we just couldn't come to commercial terms 685 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 3: with the network. And what we didn't appreciate was how 686 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 3: the network then took that to press, because what we 687 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 3: wanted to do, and we made it very clear, was 688 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 3: that let's do a press release that thanks everybody for 689 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 3: their input and hard work, and that we can revisit. 690 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 3: You know, we can remain part of the Master Chef 691 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 3: family forever because it's so integral with who we are. 692 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 3: People identify us with that, and that we can continue 693 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 3: to be so part of the family because that was 694 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 3: important to us, but that was kind of ripped away 695 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 3: from us, whether it was the press and their eagerness 696 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 3: to sensationalize it, and then obviously people's opinion of what 697 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 3: was going on only with the master Chef, with George, 698 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 3: and so it was kind of a It was certainly 699 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 3: something to fight through, but that all of it. I 700 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 3: was more concerned with George. I mean, he'd been through 701 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 3: ahead of a time, you know, still is really dealing 702 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 3: with the collapse of what was one of the most 703 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 3: successful restaurant empires in Australia and one of the most 704 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 3: creative chefs in Australia, and so I think that was 705 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 3: a distraction. I mean, the idea of going to Channel 706 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 3: seven was all about pursuing our own ideas and pursuing 707 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 3: our own food television ideas. So yeah, you know, I 708 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 3: think the hardest thing has really been losing a connection 709 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 3: with something that we've been so close to for so 710 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 3: long in a very abrupt and final way. So it's 711 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 3: a bit like working hard, you know, in a chef 712 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:33,439 Speaker 3: or a restauranteurs a restaurant in restaurant terms, working hard 713 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 3: for a business for ten years and then just leaving 714 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 3: on bad terms, and never being able to feel comfortable 715 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 3: putting that on your resume again or being able to 716 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 3: make contact with it again and say much of who 717 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 3: I am is that place. It's terrible, it's not a 718 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 3: nice thing. But you know what, that's television and you 719 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 3: know what I was told that from day one. I remember, 720 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 3: you know, going to the logis and chatting to all 721 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 3: these people you know that had been uput and down 722 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 3: through their whole careers. And we're still laughing and resilient 723 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:05,640 Speaker 3: and love the business. But understand very clearly what it 724 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 3: is and what it isn't you know? And I understand 725 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 3: very clearly what it is and what it is. And 726 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,959 Speaker 3: I'm quite happy with the EBB and flow, and even 727 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 3: now I look at it and go, well, I'm just 728 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,840 Speaker 3: I'm enjoying life. We're trying lots of different things. Some 729 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 3: are working, some or not, and we'll just have to 730 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:22,360 Speaker 3: see what happens. 731 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:24,720 Speaker 2: Yes, Oh, thank you for sharing that. Gary. 732 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 1: Now we're like, I don't know where the time's gone, 733 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: but we're out of it. 734 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 2: So my final question is. 735 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 3: I don't want to finish on a negative. Remember the 736 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 3: ethos is always to finish on a positive. 737 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 2: I know I know. 738 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 1: So my final question, Gary is tell me about what 739 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: ideas you're pursuing now and how listeners can connect with you. 740 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 3: Well, I mean, in terms of television, we're constantly pitching ideas, 741 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:51,799 Speaker 3: so Matt and I very specifically because we're the Channel seven, 742 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 3: are hoping that we can get something off the ground 743 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 3: with Channel seven in the primetime space and food space. 744 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,080 Speaker 3: I'm just finished off a book, so that's now off 745 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 3: to print and will be available later on in the year, 746 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 3: which is Gary's Essentials. That's the working title at the moment. 747 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:09,320 Speaker 3: We actually haven't tipped you signed off on the actual title. 748 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 3: And I'm doing lots of podcasting and a number of 749 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 3: live events via Zoom internationally, so especially in India, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, 750 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 3: in the UK. So there's quite a bit going on, 751 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 3: and I'm actually also enjoying having time to do all 752 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 3: the things that in the last probably twenty five years 753 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 3: I've always turned down. You know when friends ring and 754 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 3: say hey, we're going to do this, and I go, 755 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,799 Speaker 3: I'm busy, and then eventually they stop ringing. So yeah, 756 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 3: I've been doing quite a lot of that, and it's 757 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 3: not that I'm retiring in any way, but I'm certainly 758 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 3: enjoying a different pace of life and I'm looking forward 759 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,120 Speaker 3: to hanging my hat on three to four projects a year. 760 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 2: Amazing. 761 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: That sounds like there's a lot of things that are 762 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 1: about to come to fruition. Yes, you sound very busy 763 00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: for someone that apparently has. 764 00:36:59,120 --> 00:36:59,959 Speaker 2: A little bit more time. 765 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: Yes, Gary, Well, look, it has been an absolute pleasure 766 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:07,040 Speaker 1: chatting and I've personally learned so much and I think 767 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:08,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to get a pressure cooker. 768 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:10,359 Speaker 2: I think You've sold me on that. So Gary, thank 769 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 2: you so. 770 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,360 Speaker 3: Much for your time, pleasure. Thank you very much for 771 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 3: having me on, and hopefully I didn't ramble too much, 772 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 3: not at all. 773 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:19,800 Speaker 2: That is it for today's show. 774 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: If you are not currently a subscriber or follower of 775 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: How I Work, you might want to hit subscribe or 776 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,839 Speaker 1: follow wherever you're listening to this from because next week 777 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,720 Speaker 1: I'm so excited to have Gretchen. 778 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:35,800 Speaker 2: Ruben on the show. I have been a fan of Gretchen's. 779 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:41,319 Speaker 1: Work, writing, thinking, podcasting about happiness for over a decade. 780 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: You might be familiar with some of her books, like 781 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 1: The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, and it's such 782 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:52,280 Speaker 1: a great interview, so many practical, interesting and novel tips, 783 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: so I'm very excited to share that one with you 784 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 1: next week. How I Work is produced by Inventing and 785 00:37:57,760 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: with production support from Dead Set Studio. 786 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:01,359 Speaker 2: The producer for. 787 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: This episode was the marvelous Jenna Koder, and thank you 788 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:07,240 Speaker 1: to Martin Nimba who does the audio mix for every 789 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 1: episode and makes everything sound better than it would have otherwise. 790 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 2: See you next time.