Category Archives: Discipline

Nov 09 2017
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art, Awareness, Change The World, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership

The sting.

Regret.

It’s the most excruciating sting in the human experience.

What we didn’t say or convey. What we didn’t do or create. What we kept in our head and hearts instead of handing off to another.

These are the roots of so much that stings in our lives.

So before the clock hits 5:00,

…before you head home,

…before you turn on Jimmy Fallon and fall asleep,

…what will you do to avoid the sting?

…Who will you connect with?

…How will you touch the world, your industry, or your neighbor?

What will your verse be?

In the end, I’m glad I did > I wish I had.

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Nov 03 2017
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Awareness, Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, food, Imagination, Leadership, Let The Music Play

The Chef Sessions No. 4 with Greg Wade | Publican Bread Co.

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America’s in the midst of a bread renaissance – just ask Publican Quality Bread’s Head Baker, Greg Wade. Growing up outside Milwaukee, Greg was raised baking with his mother and grandmother, but it wasn’t until years later that he discovered his passion for whole grains, long fermentation and all the other things he speaks effortlessly about under the humble guise of “nerding out.”

After enrolling in The Illinois Institute of Art’s Culinary Program, Greg began to notice a void in the Chicago dining scene – excellent restaurants had the desire to serve quality breads made from hydrated doughs and whole grains, but they were hard-pressed to find the space and expertise necessary to bake in their already-bustling kitchens. From that epiphany, Greg found his first home as a baker at Wicker Park’s Taxim, where he specialized in breads and pastries. As his knowledge continued to grow, Greg joined the opening team at Girl & the Goat in 2010. Wade excelled under Chef Stephanie Izard’s tutelage, and in 2013, he moved to Little Goat to oversee bread baking at Girl & the Goat, Little Goat and Little Goat French Market.

Now at the helm of Publican Quality Bread, Greg works hand in hand with Chefs de Cuisine, farmers and retail owners to develop breads to fit restaurant menus and storefronts within and outside the One Off family. Since joining our team in 2014, Greg has grown Publican Quality Bread from a seedling operation within the kitchen of sister restaurant Publican Quality Meats, to a full-fledged wholesale wing. In 2017, Greg’s passion and skills were recognized with a James Beard finalist nomination for Outstanding Baker, alongside people he’s admired greatly throughout the course of his career.

As Publican Quality Bread’s Head Baker, Greg oversees the bread program for all of One Off Hospitality Group, with a focus on whole grains and fermentation. Apart from his day-to-day leadership, Greg is an active member of the local, regional and national farming communities – every July, you can find him leading a two-day Bread Camp along with Marty and Will Travis at Spence Farm in Fairbury, IL. Online, you can witness his technique and commitment to ethical, quality ingredients in the newly released documentary, Sustainable.

You can listen to this episode and all other episodes of Let The Music Play Podcast at Sticher or iTunes.

Show Notes

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Oct 30 2017
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art, Awareness, Books, Business, Change The World, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership, Marketing, success

A letter from what you want

Good morning.

With only 1,440 minutes available for you today, it’s best if we keep this short.

We typically are found in the realms of what is hidden and unseen.

Many call the avenues that lead to us boring and lacking with any entertainment value. Unless, of course, you understand the beauty of the human experience. If so, you’ll find our music, poems, and metaphors quite liberating.

Spamming your way to us looks like an effective approach. Trust us, it isn’t.

You won’t find us where everyone is. We hang out on the fringes where one can actually see the forest for the trees.

There’s a few things we love: seasons, humanity, sustainability, rest, connection, unity, art, friendship, and simplicity. We hope you’ll learn to love them too.

The few that have found us will always share what they feel, what they felt, and what they have found. But they won’t shout it aloud. Sharing and shouting never have danced well together. Hint…hearing starts in your eyes.

So don’t forget to ask others about us along the way.

Remember to seek beauty, flavor, meaning, love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Knock on many doors and know who you are so you can answer ‘Who’s there?”.

And always onnect with contribution and consistently sow with the seeds of generosity.

We hope to see you soon.

 

Truly yours,

Success – Satisfaction – Fulfillment – Wonder – Awe

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Oct 23 2017
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art, Awareness, Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, food, Imagination, Leadership, Let The Music Play, success

Listening…

…takes time.

…seeks to be connected over being correct.

…requires empathy.

…comes from a place of generosity.

…and starts with a desire to understand.

What if we started comparing, connecting, and commingling our questions in lieu of staging battles with our answers?

I imagine the music cue up as our questions started to dance.

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Oct 20 2017
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art, Business, Change The World, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, food, Imagination, Leadership, Let The Music Play, success

The Chef Sessions No. 2: Chef Michael Tusk of Quince and Cotogna – San Francisco, CA

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Michael Tusk is the Chef and Owner, along with his wife Lindsay, of two of San Francisco’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, Quince and Cotogna. His approach to Italian and French regional cuisine is refined and modern, taking inspiration from the seasonal bounty of Northern California and his close relationships with local purveyors.

A native of New Jersey, Tusk graduated from Tulane University with a degree in Art History and attended the Culinary Institute of America
in Hyde Park, New York. After completing his studies, Tusk left for Europe to gain experience in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout France and Italy. His experience in Italy’s Barbaresco region resonated most profoundly and was the catalyst for his sustained interest in Northern Italian regional cuisine.

Tusk returned to the United States in 1988 and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area where he contributed to the success of some of the country’s most pioneering, influential restaurants including Stars and Chez Panisse. In December 2003, Tusk and his wife Lindsay opened Quince, and the restaurant quickly became one of San Francisco’s top fine-dining destinations. In November 2010 they opened Cotogna, a bustling, rustic Italian restaurant adjacent to Quince.

The James Beard Foundation has recognized Tusk’s contributions to the industry and named him “Best Chef: Pacific”. Under Tusk’s helm, Quince has also been awarded four stars by the San Francisco Chronicle, three stars from the Michelin Guide and is a distinguished member of Relais & Châteaux.

You can stream this episode and all other episodes in iTunes and at AshtonGustafson.com.

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