continuing the work and professionalization (michelin part 8, following curiosity, zooming out)

This is a re-sharing of a culinary experience that I had back in 2022, working at a 2* Michelin restaurant, Birdsong SF. I posted an eight-part series on Twitter at the time, but it was never formalized in a longer format. I'm doing this to sort of immortalize the experience here since it was some of my earliest beginnings of living according to my values, doing what I found interesting, and finding beauty.

It's an experience that helped shape my first sabbatical and I'm revisiting some of these learnings as they mix with conversations and readings in my current sabbatical.

Each part will be about the same with some grammatical and intonation fixes, plus an updated reflection at the end.

This is the last part. Enjoy 😌.

following curiosity

My internship concluded in July of 2022 and to my surprise, the chefs offered me employment. In the culinary world, that meant "we like you, you've been helpful, you're not an idiot, and we'd like you to stay and learn with us."

That was beyond cool, especially for someone who never was in the service industry, save a couple of self-created experiences at home. I'm grateful they took a chance on me.

I ended up working with them in a part-time capacity for nine months.

Aside from it being fun, one factor for continuing my work was regret minimization. Ten years ago, I let a similar opportunity pass me by. I needed to finish college and they needed someone full-time.

In these instances, I scenario-play. 30 years down the line, would I regret "what could've been", even if it didn't work out?

If there is even a hint of curiosity, then I have to find out, even if it puts me in a weird exploratory phase.

And find out I did (read the last seven posts). 😂

I now know that opening my own restaurant or becoming a life-long line cook isn't what I want. BUT, that doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy or be proficient at the work along the journey.

My choice(s) ten years ago sent me away from the culinary path but opened up other opportunities that made me who I am today. I was still curious about those other paths, so at the beginning of 2023, my time at Birdsong SF came to an end.

zooming out

I've always had trouble accepting that life is much more shades of grey than it is black and white. If I did something, it was always balls to the wall and I had to find some way to make it 100% of my life.

Almost always, I burned out. Somewhere along the way, I would lose the emphatic attitude of fun and instead, create expectations.

And that would be the beginning of the end. I was no longer enjoying the process. I was looking for wins.

I think this kind of "professionalization" happens frequently in our work. We play to the role (chef) and not to the art (service). This can mislead you in the wrong direction if you're not careful.

If anything, working at Birdsong helped me reanimate that "just try stuff" attitude. It keeps things fun and lightens the seriousness of our collective life situation.

My hypothesis is that playfulness happens in new environments because you're coming in as a complete newbie, a white belt to the game. The challenge is keeping that mentality as you pick up experience.

You can actively fight it by refusing to align to roles.

Instead of "chef", it's "I do scientific transformations with food, taste stuff, and occasionally end up doing some boring but necessary shit." Inelegant, but white belt. Far less pressure than "all-star chef".

It's kind of the same thing with "roles" I've held in the past and now. Data scientist, lead analyst, product manager. Like, what the fuck are these things? Speak human. I prefer simple and direct language as to what I'm really doing. "I tell stories with numbers" or, "I'm here to truly understand the problems you're facing."

Part of the "normal guy doing shit" attitude is purposefully remaining a white belt, and living on the outer edges of role definition. It offers the advantage of developing skills that I care about regardless of role, and keeps the ego in check. When nothing is below you, that's when you start making interesting connections.

This is just a long-winded way to share the direction my thinking is moving in. As I embark on new adventures, these will be the things I keep in mind.

← part 7