Work Hard. Laugh When You Feel Like

My Mom Worked In Restaurants For 60 Years, And What I Learned From Her Is A Lot. But If I Had To Boil It Down, Take Your Work Very Seriously, But Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously. Work Harder Than Everyone Else And Never Complain About It. Don't Go To Bed If You're Not Proud Of The Product Of Your Day; Stay Awake Until You Are.

My Mom, Who's Been In The Restaurant Business For 40 Years, Is The Number-one Influence In My Life. But I Look Up To A Lot Of People In The Industry. Tops On My List Is Mario Batali. My Mom And Mario Taught Me The Same Lesson: Food Is Love.

Be Real. Make Connections With People. Look Them In The Eye. Tell Them How You Feel. Don't Be Afraid To Say What You Mean. When You Let Go Of The Stuff You Hold Inside, You'll Be Amazed At What Comes Back To You.

Yum-o! I Say This If Something Is So Good That 'yum' Just Isn't Enough Of An Exclamation. The Accent Is On The 'o' As In, 'oh! That Is So Good!'

Work Hard. Laugh When You Feel Like Crying. Keep An Open Mind, Open Eyes And An Open Spirit.