What does it take to go from a turbulent childhood to building a global culinary empire and redefining what it means to lead under pressure?
Gordon Ramsay isn’t just a Michelin-starred chef and television icon—he’s a master of high performance. In Humble Pie, Ramsay opens up about his abusive upbringing, early football dreams, brutal kitchens, and the mindset that propelled him to global success.
Join Dr. Duncan Simpson and Dr. Greg Young as they dive into the fire of Ramsay’s world—unpacking the grit, pain, and precision that shaped one of the most relentless performers of our time.
🍳 Why failure in football became the spark for culinary greatness 🔥 What working under Marco Pierre White taught him about pressure and perfection 🧠 How Gordon built world-class kitchens by demanding excellence and loyalty ⚔️ Why honesty, consistency, and standards matter more than talent
Ramsay’s story is raw, intense, and filled with brutal lessons on resilience, leadership, and the true price of mastery. Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or chasing your passion—you’ll walk away with lessons forged in the heat of the kitchen.
🎧 Ready to turn up the heat on your own performance? Hit play now.
Support the show by paying what you can here: DONATE
Listen on Spotify: Spotify
Listen on Apple: Apple
Watch & Listen on YouTube: YouTube
Buy the book: Humble Pie
Socials:
Instagram - @Performerspod https://www.instagram.com/performerspod/
Linkedin - Duncan Simpson https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-simpson-ph-d-cmpc-76244b1a/
Linkedin - Greg Young https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-young-ph-d-cmpc-64765a35/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@performers.pod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Chapters
00:00 The Real Gordon Ramsay
01:56 Gordon Ramsay's Culinary Journey
04:41 The Impact of Family Dynamics
08:23 From Football Dreams to Culinary Aspirations
15:17 Finding Passion in the Kitchen
19:46 The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence
25:19 The Hidden Side of Success
27:56 High-Pressure Environments and Growth
29:17 Navigating High-Performance Environments
31:33 The Impact of Toxic Leadership
32:19 Lessons from the Kitchen: Growth and Resilience
35:06 Embracing Discomfort for Growth
38:56 The Importance of Hard Work and Patience
41:25 Learning from Adversity
43:39 Identifying What Not to Emulate
47:17 The Great Walkout and New Beginnings
48:55 The Transition to Television Stardom
51:19 The Weight of External Validation
53:23 The Art of Delegation and Trust
57:43 Leadership Principles in High-Pressure Environments
01:00:25 Setting Standards and Accountability
01:02:30 Consistency as the Foundation of Excellence
01:04:17 Gord
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!