November 7, 2025 • 37 mins
The best restaurants don’t just serve plates; they build worlds. Chef David Myers joins us to unpack how a driveway farm stand, a passport full of stamps, and a Michelin star shaped his approach to food, leadership, and life. From Los Angeles to Tokyo, Dubai, and Miami, David shares how he balances French technique with California freshness and global flavors while keeping one rule sacred: keep it simple and make it craveable.
We talk about pressure—and why he treats it as a privilege. David opens up about the routines that keep him sharp: daily transcendental meditation, non-negotiable training sessions, and the mindset that turned a pandemic into a platform for transformation. He explains why today’s chef must be fluent in finance, HR, construction, and brand, and how AI can become a practical ally for menu modeling, staffing, and scenario planning without replacing the heart of hospitality.
If you’ve ever wondered how to localize a concept across cultures, this conversation is a masterclass. David rejects copy-and-paste expansion, showing how to adapt menus and leadership styles for Japan, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia while protecting brand soul. We also dive into his Miami project, Adrift Mare with AKA, and his next frontier: wellness-driven hospitality that blends performance cuisine, recovery, and design. Along the way, you’ll hear candid advice for chef-founders on mentorship, networking beyond your lane, and committing to a point of view you’d take to Mars.
Come for the travel stories and kitchen craft; stay for the blueprint on building teams, chasing authenticity, and creating experiences that linger long after the check is paid. If this episode sparks an idea or shifts your mindset, share it with a friend, hit follow, and leave a quick review so more curious listeners can find us.
Thanks for listening! If you liked our episode today, please like, share, and comment!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Welcome to Hotel Daddy.
I'm your host, Blake Danner.
Today's guest is Michelinstarred chef David Meyer.
In today's episode, we're justgoing to dive right in and get
to know David, exploring hisunique journey and the stories
that have shaped his career infood, beverage, and hospitality.
Whether you're an industryinsider or you just love a good
story, you're in the rightplace.
(00:27):
So hey kids, if you're listeningwhile you're driving, keep those
hands at 10 and 3, settle in,and enjoy the ride.
As we open the doors to HotelDaddy.
Chef David Myers, a globalcitizen with an insatiable
hunger for travel, is aninternationally renowned
Michelin-starred chef andrestaurateur based across Asia,
(00:50):
the United States, and theMiddle East, recognized for his
unique ways of marrying his twogreatest passions, food and
travel.
David has opened 20 restaurantsin eight cities across three
continents.
We're going to talk about thatbecause I don't think he's done.
David is an award-winning chef,restaurateur, and global
culinary nomad, known forblending modern sensibilities
(01:13):
with a deep respect for localculture and ingredients.
He's often referred to as thegypsy chef.
David has traveled the world todraw inspiration, going from the
streets of Tokyo to the marketsof Marrakesh, crafting unique
dining experiences thattranscend borders.
A James Beard award winner andfounder of several acclaimed
(01:34):
restaurants in the US, Asia, andthe Middle East, including names
like Adrift, Salt, Hinoki andthe Bird, Myers is recognized
for his innovative approach tocuisine and design forward
concepts.
His cooking style reflects afusion of French technique,
California freshness, and globalflavors.
With frequent appearances ontelevision shows including Top
(01:56):
Chef, Iron Chef America,features in Forbes, Esquire, and
the New York Times.
Chef Myers continues to push theboundaries of food, travel, and
culture.
Chef Myers, welcome to HotelDaddy.
SPEAKER_01 (02:12):
Blake, thank you, man.
What an intro.
My God, I gotta get my family tolisten to that.
SPEAKER_00 (02:18):
Well, here's the thing that is just about a third
of your real bio, my friend.
I mean, I didn't even talk aboutthe chefs you've worked at,
where you've worked, therestaurants you've worked at.
So we're gonna get into allthat.
But we like to start everyepisode with something I like to
call who's in the lobby.
You ready?
Let's do it.
(02:38):
All right, I'm gonna fire somerapid fire questions at you,
David.
Your name, David Myers.
Your zodiac sign.
I'm an Aries.
Favorite fashion designer.
I would say Salon.
All right.
What's your go-to comfort food?
Oh my god, pasta.
Love it.
One kitchen tool you can't livewithout.
(03:01):
My Japanese chef knife.
SPEAKER_01 (03:04):
All right.
Dream dinner guest.
It can be alive or historical,but who do you gotta have?
Oh man, there's so many.
I'd say Oscar Wilde would be anamazing one.
The guy is just so clever.
Last movie you saw.
F1.
Awesome.
Shoes or flip-flops?
Blake, I'm in Bali.
Flip-flops, man.
SPEAKER_00 (03:23):
Well, follow-up question.
Favorite place to surf.
I would say Bali.
And final question favoritefitness activity.
Surfing, hands down.
Love it.
I think I knew that one.
David, you had an amazingcareer.
You continue to do new things,challenge yourself.
But what first drew you into theculinary world?
SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Oh, I got really blessed because I found what I
loved at a young age when I hadthe energy and I didn't know any
better.
And you know, I could get in andmake all the mistakes in the
world and still have some timeto figure it out.
I went to school forinternational business.
I dropped out to be a chef, andnow I'm doing international
business.
So go figure.
SPEAKER_00 (04:06):
But I do know how to cook.
So hold on, let's follow up onthat for a second because I find
it so interesting.
So many creative chefs that theycome to the passion of food.
It's not always unnatural thatthey can transition into being
successful entrepreneurs.
You, my friend, have done that.
What was your secret?
(04:26):
And why do you think it worksfor you and doesn't for others?
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
I don't know that I found my way with it yet.
I'm still learning every day,believe me.
I made a lot of mistakes and youknow, been lucky a lot of times
as well.
I really enjoy creatingsomething.
I enjoy bringing something tolife.
I don't go into a new concept ornew idea and think, oh my God,
what if this or what if that orwhat, you know, if I knew all
(04:51):
the challenges that I would havein opening a restaurant, not
just in my hometown, but alsoabroad in different countries, I
would never do it.
Part of the real success hasbeen I've had blinders on with
these type of things.
I have an idea, I want to do it,and I just go for it and I
figure it out along the way.
But the biggest thing I wouldsay, looking at it from a
different viewpoint, I think thebiggest thing, Blake, has been
(05:13):
I've surrounded myself withreally amazing people.
And I go to them humbly and I'mlike, I have no idea what the
hell I'm doing here.
What do you think?
How should I handle this?
How should I do that?
And then I am like a sponge tolearn everything I can that
they're saying.
And I researched the heck out ofit as well.
SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
How important is it as a leader to be able to admit
what you don't know?
SPEAKER_01 (05:34):
I think it's really important.
I mean, when I was younger, Iwas probably full of a lot of
ego, thought I knew everythingin the world, you know, just an
idiot, an absolute idiot.
But as you get a little moreexperience, especially once
you've had some failures, somechallenges, whatever, that stuff
goes away pretty quickly.
And you have to recognize rightaway hey, the only thing that
(05:55):
matters is how can I succeed?
How can I move forward?
How can I make sure the teamwins?
And that is when you raise yourhand, you're like, hey, I don't
know how to do this.
How should I do this?
What do you think?
Finding the right answers fromthe right people has been really
key for me.
SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
We've talked about going from cooking and the
creative arts to getting into abusiness and leadership role.
How do you see the role of chefevolving over the next decade,
not just for yourself, but inthe industry?
SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
I have nothing but respect for chefs across the
board because we are people thathave to know it all.
You know, we have to knowaccounting, we have to know
business development, we have toknow construction, we have to
know financials, HR.
It's like it's nuts.
Nobody in the history of runningcompanies has to know every
little detail of these things,but we do because you know, we
(06:43):
don't have massive teamstypically when we're first
starting out.
It's nuts to me all that we haveto uh absorb and find our way to
lead with.
AI is gonna make a massiveimpact on helping us.
It's gonna give us a lot ofoptions on bouncing ideas off of
AI and figuring out certainthings from a business
perspective that maybe we'rechallenged with.
(07:06):
But I do think that the core ofwhat we do is always gonna be
the same.
And that core is to deliver agreat experience for people and
to make them feel happy and wantto come back and figure out how
to make money from that.
I don't think that will everchange.
SPEAKER_00 (07:19):
So interesting.
This is why we have theseconversations.
Because if you'd have told methat we were gonna have this
conversation and a chef wasgonna talk to me about AI, I
would have said, nope, that'snot a path we're going down.
I get it.
By the way, I love yourrecognition of it, and I think
you're correct.
I think it's gonna make a hugeimpact on all of our industries,
(07:40):
whether it is in leadership, inmanagement, even in creative
arts.
David, you earned a Michelinstar very early in your career.
Congratulations, by the way.
Thank you.
How did that change yourtrajectory?
SPEAKER_01 (07:52):
Well, I think it opened up a lot of doors that we
didn't even recognize at thetime.
I didn't set out to open arestaurant just to go for a
Michelin star.
I set out to be the best chef inthe world.
That was my mission.
Michelin was just a part of itand all these other things.
I was driven for creating thebest experience for our guests,
but you need the accolades tohave the credibility and to get
(08:13):
the guests coming into yourrestaurant.
So I was pushing like crazy toget that.
I had the pleasure of workingand the luck to have worked for
a lot of really great chefsbefore I launched my first
place.
And I was so grateful to havethe opportunity that Michelin
even came to LA and we were ableto be a part of that.
It was game-changing in so manyways, Blake, because it just
opened up doors.
(08:33):
It gave us access to newopportunities.
But then there is a massivepressure component that comes
with that.
It's also equal to the pressurethat we always put ourselves
under every single day, anyway,trying to deliver great
experience, trying to blow ourguests away.
SPEAKER_00 (08:49):
You just said something I want to follow up
on, which is the pressure we setup for ourselves.
It's like a record artist,right?
When they have a hit record andit's the pressure to do the next
one.
You've opened hit restaurantsand it's the pressure to do the
next one.
How do you deal with that?
What's your coping mechanism toevery time you open something
new to recognize that you've gotall this history?
There are expectations.
SPEAKER_01 (09:09):
Yeah, it is tough.
And over the years, it hasn'tlessened that pressure.
It hasn't gotten easier.
I mean, it's still the same.
In fact, if anything, it's evenharder now.
It's even like the stakes areeven higher.
All I can do is I have to do afew things.
First of all, I the way I set mylife up in order to be who I am,
in order to be able to createand develop and lead and grow a
(09:32):
business.
There's certain things I have todo to make that happen.
Number one, I need to meditate.
I meditate every single day,every morning.
I try to do it twice a day, butusually it's once.
I do what's calledtranscendental meditation.
And some really successfulpeople have been doing that.
And that's how I learned aboutit.
And so I'm like, well, ifthey're doing it and they're
that successful, maybe I shouldlook into this.
(09:53):
And I'd say it's beengame-changing for me.
And if you don't do it, Blake,I'm getting you into it next
time I see you.
But that's one thing.
I'm up for it.
Awesome.
The other is exercise.
I am always running like hot andalways have a lot of energy.
And I need to burn off, youknow, sometimes some negative
energy or just my mind is, youknow, going a thousand miles a
(10:13):
minute thinking about stuff.
So exercise has been kind ofthat holy grail for me to get
myself centered, stay healthy,stay fit, which is incredibly
important for us and ourbusiness.
Those foundations, those twothings have been kind of the
bedrock for me to be able to goin, handle the pressure, and
deal with what I need to dealwith.
And honestly, pressure is aprivilege, man.
(10:36):
It's a real privilege to havethat pressure.
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
We have to remember that.
We have to remember that.
SPEAKER_01 (10:39):
Yeah.
I'm grateful for it.
I'm so happy to even have theopportunity to be doing
something where there's pressurelike that.
And when things get really hard,I'm like, bring it on.
Let's go.
SPEAKER_00 (10:49):
I want to double down on your vision of fitness
for a second because look, we'rea few episodes in now to uh
doing this series, and there's areal common thread amongst all
of the successful leaders thatI'm talking to.
And physical fitness has beenone of them and how each of them
incorporates it into their life.
(11:09):
I want to tell a quick littlestory, which is, you know, you
and I met because we're doing aproject together down in Miami.
By the way, you want to, beforewe do that, you want to just
tell the folks a little bitabout the project that we do
together in Miami, your take onit.
SPEAKER_01 (11:21):
Absolutely.
I'd love to.
Well, first of all, I'm reallyfortunate I get to work with you
and with AKA and theirincredible brand in Brickle in
Miami.
It's an incredible property.
When Larry Corman, the CEO, hadreached out about this
opportunity and he knew of myrestaurants in Los Angeles, I
immediately jumped at it.
I thought the brand wasremarkable.
There was an alignment with us.
I also like how AKA Exadriftjust works.
(11:44):
It seems very cool and fitting.
We launched a drift Mare, whichis our take on Mediterranean
experience in Miami.
It's very fitting.
I was just summing off a coupleof concepts we developed,
restaurants in Dubai.
And to me, Miami is the sistercity to Dubai.
I mean, just to vibe and yes, Iknow there's a bit more of a
Latin flair, obviously, inMiami, but there's an energy and
(12:06):
the way that people presentthemselves in Miami.
It's just, it's just like Dubai.
There's just this buzz, a lot ofhot restaurants.
We wanted to come out of thegate with something that was
very fitting.
We're right on the water.
We get these stunning viewsoverlooking the water there.
And it's just absolutelyremarkable.
And in my opinion, one of themost dynamic cities in America
right now.
So, you know, to be able to dothis adrift Mare with aka and to
(12:28):
be a part of the property isjust incredible.
And it's also, by the way, sidenote, awesome working with you
as well, Blake.
SPEAKER_00 (12:34):
Yeah, well, thank you.
So listen, interesting.
A lot of the hotel geeks thatlisten to this show know my
career and know the chefs thatI've worked with in the past.
And I've been incrediblyfortunate to work with a lot of
top name chefs.
And I'm so happy to add you tothat roster.
But you, my friend, are not onlyamongst the most talented, but
you're just one of the mostgracious people to work with.
(12:55):
And I appreciate that.
And people who are listeningshould know that.
You're just a heck of a niceguy.
And that's why I'm glad we'retalking today.
So let's go back to fitness fora second.
I love telling this storybecause you mentioned Larry
Corman, who is the founder andCEO of AKA.
And you know, when I was what Ilike to call Courton, when I was
Courton with Larry and thinkingabout joining the organization,
(13:15):
he said, Blake, I really wantyou to meet David Myers.
He's going to be the chef forMiami.
I love his passion.
I love his vision.
His ethos aligns with our ethos.
I can't wait till you meet him.
And then he grins and he goes,And Blake, he's the only chef I
know that has an eight pack.
I didn't get it at first.
I thought he meant like someproduct you and then he said,
(13:35):
No, he's he like he's super fit.
And then, of course, I meet youand I start following on
Instagram.
Dude, you travel internationallyevery month.
You're in kitchens, you'rearound food.
Your schedule is as crazy asmine.
Talk to me about the commitmentand how you protect time for
(13:57):
including fitness in what is aclearly crazy schedule.
SPEAKER_01 (14:01):
Yeah, well, I gotta tell you, man, it's everything.
It's that important.
I make it a priority and it'snon-negotiable.
Like I have my time, I go to thegym.
I don't care where I am in theworld, I hit it.
I just hit it.
And if it has to be late afterservice, that's when I go.
If it has to be really early, 4a.m., that's when I go.
Because the reward I get fromit, it's remarkable.
(14:22):
You know, it again, it enablesme to be me.
And I need that energy.
It's all about creating thisgreat energy, and I need that
energy.
And so working out has donethat.
You know, during COVID, Iremember I was flying back from
Singapore.
And at that time, I was on aplane 50 weeks out of the year
internationally.
I literally lived on aircraftsand different time zones.
I was perpetually jet lagged.
(14:44):
And I still worked out, but notto the point like I do now.
I finally figured it out.
I hired the right guy.
His name's Kirk Miller.
He has a program called Built toLast.
It's amazing.
I landed back in Los Angeles,last flight out of Singapore.
They shut the world down.
And I'm like, I had to createthree big goals for myself
during that period.
Otherwise, I was gonna go nuts,right?
So one of them was to get in thebest shape of my life.
(15:06):
And I hired this guy, I did thiswhole program, I dropped a bunch
of fat.
I got really ripped and I feltamazing.
I'd never done it before.
It was a massive win for me.
And it was that setting up agoal that was so difficult,
achieving it.
And then it just was like thenext goal and the next goal and
the next goal.
So the fitness component was notjust even about getting fit and
getting healthy, but it was alsoabout winning and having these
(15:28):
big goals you put forward andachieving them.
It's just kind of gone hand inhand with me.
And also, you know, I've seen alot of chefs that are not
healthy.
Some unfortunately have passedon early, which always hurts to
see friends go.
A lot of this stuff ispreventable in some ways with
lifestyle choices and how wetake care of ourselves.
The problem is when you're inthe kitchen and you're working
(15:48):
all the time, you have no energyfor it.
And that's why you have tocreate that energy through the
training.
Great point.
And it's made all the differencein the world.
And I'm going all in on this,Blake.
Like I'm creating a brand, a newbrand that I want to do that's
entirely geared towards wellnessand vitality.
Still on a, you know, reallyhigh level.
Well, it's just something, youknow, on the Adrift side that is
(16:10):
really passionate for me to finda way that we can create an
experience that's focused onwellness and vitality.
So in Bali, I live in Bali.
This is a wellness-orientedisland, you know, it's called
Island of the Gods.
I want to create with our Adriftbrand a place, whether it's a
small boutique hotel that hasthe whole FB component that's
geared towards wellness andvitality, but something that is
(16:31):
centered completely aroundfitness, the recovery component
of that, the cuisine that we'llcreate.
We're going to create somethingtotally different that is still
exceptional.
Balance is really where it's at.
It's not about going off thedeep end and being like the full
carnivore diet, keto, or this orthat.
It's about balance, right?
And so I want to create a brandthat's centered around, you
know, all the skills that I'vecreated for all of these years,
(16:54):
but around wellness andvitality.
That's how impassionate I am.
We launched a matcha brand lastyear.
And this matcha brand, you know,matcha is so healthy, right?
It's got all these amazingproperties.
So this kind of kickstarted theidea of how do I bring in all my
loves right now, what I do everyday, how do I create businesses
out of that?
Because I'm spending all my timedoing it.
Let's find another avenue withthis to bring it into our brand.
So that's what we're working on.
SPEAKER_00 (17:15):
Do you love that intersection of your personal
passion of fitness and what thetrends are in health and
wellness right now?
Is that an intersection that youreally want to spend time in?
SPEAKER_01 (17:27):
I do.
It's, I mean, it's a core partof who I am.
And just like travel has been asignificant part of who I am,
that will continue to play in mybrands.
I mean, all I'm trying to do isbring out the things that I'm
passionate about and I'menjoying.
And that's how I want to buildmy business around because I
find that A, I'm happier doingit.
B, I think it resonates withpeople.
(17:47):
They see that authenticity.
SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
Authenticity.
Uh-huh.
Right?
A hundred percent.
I see it in you.
They feel it.
One of the things that I lovethe most about you is you are
your authentic self.
And I think what you've justsaid is something I really want
our listeners to double down on,which is the authentic self is
what resonates, whether it's inyour product, it's in your
leadership.
Authenticity is a word we needto continue to underpin in what
(18:12):
we do.
SPEAKER_01 (18:13):
Now more than ever, Blake.
That's something AI will nevertake away.
SPEAKER_00 (18:17):
Bingo.
I love it.
Let's go back to food for asecond.
Yes.
What makes a dish trulyunforgettable in your eyes?
SPEAKER_01 (18:23):
It comes down to being done as simply as
possible, made with a lot oflove and great ingredients.
And again, as simple aspossible.
Some of the greatest dishes I'veever had are like one or two
items.
And, you know, I could saymultiple things from Japan or
from Italy or whatever, but Ifind the best food is really
something that's been grown withlove, unbelievable flavor, done
(18:45):
as simply as possible.
And I think I got really luckyearly on in my life.
My grandparents, I spent a lotof time with them.
They essentially raised me.
I was up in the garden workingevery summer, like all the time.
And here's a cool story.
You're gonna love this one.
So they had a big garden, and Ihad to go up and I had to work
in the garden and I hated it.
I just wanted to be out with myfriends, whatever.
But we used to have at the endof the long driveway, we had um
(19:07):
a little farmer's stand, right?
Uh uh, it was a wheelbarrow, andit had like this wooden plank
over it, and then all thevegetables that I picked that
morning put it out there.
And so they started this when Iwas born, and they basically
collected all the money of thatover the 18 years to put me
through college.
Oh, wow.
Oh man, it's an unbelievablestory.
Like they saved up for that.
(19:28):
What I got out of it was acouple of things.
Number one, I got the value ofmoney.
Number two, I understood what agreat tomato tastes like.
I understood what great zucchiniand great corn tasted like.
I understood when it wasn'tready, when it was over.
And so it really developed mypalate.
What a gift.
Oh man, I'm telling you,priceless.
So you ask me, what do I thinkmakes a great dish?
(19:49):
I think a great dish isunbelievable ingredients.
You do the bare minimum to them.
So yeah, you can be as creativeas you want bringing this
together, but something that'scravable at the end, you're
like, I always craved mygrandma's food, how she cooked
it.
I just craved it because it wasso good and simple.
SPEAKER_00 (20:05):
You know, it's so interesting.
No one has ever dated me for myculinary excellence.
I will be honest.
I am I am not talented in thekitchen, I will admit.
But one of the things I alwayshear from people like yourself
who are just culinary excellenceis simplicity.
Usually their message issimplicity is normally a
gracious example of a good dish.
(20:26):
I find that commonalityinteresting.
How do you balance traditionwith innovation in your cuisine?
You do a lot of traditionalstuff, but in a really
innovative way.
But what's that balance to you?
SPEAKER_01 (20:38):
Well, I think for me, the innovation part is just
bringing in my creativity, whichI want to put my mark on
something.
I just enjoy it.
I'm trying to think of a coolway to do it.
But the traditional part is likemy foundation.
It's my framework of what I'mgoing to be focused on, how I'm
going to work it out.
But then I try to bring in, youknow, my thoughts around it.
So instead of just like aperfect roast chicken, all
right, how can we do that withif you're lime leaf, galongol
(21:00):
root, some fish sauce, somelime?
Like that could be really anepic dish.
Maybe you have some forbiddenrice that's stuffed inside of
the chicken as it roasts and itcooks like that.
These are the ways that I thinkabout it.
So you take a classic, perfectlydone dish and you find your own
little tweak on it based oninspiration you've had.
For me, my inspiration came frommy travels.
(21:20):
So being in Singapore, being inCambodia, some of those
ingredients that I justmentioned were from a trip in
Cambodia.
That's the style, that's wherethe magic comes in.
And that is what makes meexcited about cooking.
SPEAKER_00 (21:31):
You just set me up for a question I really wanted
to ask you, which is you'veworked across many, many
cultures.
You've put together all thesedifferent types of flavors.
How do you adapt the flavorwithout losing the authenticity?
And the reason I ask, becauseyou know, I'm the business guy,
there's commercialconsiderations, right?
How do you adapt, but still makethose what I know have got to be
(21:53):
sometimes business decisions?
SPEAKER_01 (21:56):
When I first started, a lot of mentors told
me, look, David, you createthis, you pick it up, you drop
it into Dubai, just as it is.
You know, you don't need tochange it and all of that stuff,
right?
I don't know.
I don't agree at all.
It doesn't work.
There's just different eatingstyles.
They don't like this, they don'tlike that.
I approached it from a verydifferent way, Blake.
I approached it as we're gonnado what we do, but we want to be
(22:19):
in these other countries, wewant to be in these other cities
and these other cultures.
We got to figure out how we'regonna make it succeed in these
places.
Let's figure out what they like,what they don't like.
Would this work?
Would this not work?
Let's go check out the otherrestaurants.
What are they doing well?
What are they not doing well?
We do our research, you know.
We're not just gonna come inblindly and drop our concept and
say, hey, there you go.
We're coming in and we're likereally thoughtful about it.
(22:40):
We know what we want.
We're gonna deliver ourexperience, but our experience
doesn't have to be this is thefood, black and white, and
that's how it is, you like it oryou don't, because we won't be
in business very long.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
What's the biggest challenge in running restaurants
across so many differentcountries and cultures?
Yeah, well, where to begin?
We're gonna talk about that.
We're gonna talk about how youmaintain cohesive teams.
If your leadership style has tochange, so take off, my friend.
I want to explore the challengesinvolved in being a
multinational organization likeyourself.
SPEAKER_01 (23:09):
Well, first of all, I'm grateful for the challenges
and I'm happy to have theopportunity because that was my
dream, always international,right?
With that said, there's tons ofchallenges, time zones for one.
You know, you've got a globalteam and you need to stay in
touch with them, keep yourfinger on the pulse.
It's like a 24-hour business.
Sometimes I have meetings at twoin the morning because that's
the only time we can do it.
And it's terrible for keeping aconsistent setup of life, but it
(23:32):
is what it is.
So that's one.
Two, cultures.
You think you know about aculture, you don't know anything
until you spend some time andyou really observe.
Experience is the only wayyou're gonna learn about it.
And so sometimes you make somemistakes, sometimes it takes
longer to learn or figuresomething out.
So that's a massive challenge.
The leadership style is very,very different from country to
country.
(23:53):
You go to one country andthey're very sharp, they're very
fast.
Other countries, you have to beextremely gentle in every way
that you urge them to follow youon how you want to do things.
It could be vastly, vastlydifferent.
SPEAKER_00 (24:06):
Give me an example of a time where you've been in a
moment and you recognized inthat moment, wow, this isn't
translating for this particularculture or this particular
group.
Like, is there ever that momentwhere in the moment you said to
yourself, oh, okay, this isn'tgoing the way I wanted?
I need to moderate my style.
SPEAKER_01 (24:22):
Yeah, Japan is a great one.
The Japanese won't say no, evenwhen they mean no.
And so I'm creating these dishesand I'm thinking this style is
going to work.
They just say yes, yes, yes.
They know for sure it'sabsolutely not that this is
something that the Japanesedon't particularly like.
I remember we were, it was ourfirst restaurant, and we also
had my whole team coming in.
(24:44):
We had our chefers coming fromLondon, and it's a bit more of
an intense environment thatthese guys were coming from.
So we're in Japan and they'revery, very polite, and they
don't say no, but they havedeference to you as a leader.
And that's not how we want tooperate.
That's not how we operate.
We want the team to buy intowhat we're doing.
We're gonna tell them this ishow we do it, but we want them
(25:05):
to like be excited by it, right?
And be ambassadors for it, notjust because we tell them to.
It took a lot of time to coachthem and coax them to open up a
little bit and say, hey, that'snot gonna work here in Japan.
This style is not going to workin Japan.
You can't communicate like this,or you can't showcase the food
like this.
It's rude because my God, Blake,there are so many unwritten
(25:27):
rules in Japan, you can't evenreally imagine.
Yeah.
How do you get your head aroundthat?
Just being in the culture, beinginvolved?
I mean, it's only experience.
So it just takes time and ittakes those mistakes, and
someone kind of whispering inyour ear, like, uh, no, no, no,
that's that's not how you you doit.
SPEAKER_00 (25:44):
Back to authenticity.
Do they respect when you go,okay, I get that doesn't work?
SPEAKER_01 (25:49):
No, because that's cultural.
SPEAKER_00 (25:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (25:53):
It's culture, and the leader is the leader, and
that's all there is to it.
And so actually, no, it's verydifferent than America.
It's very, very different fromthat style.
They expect you to have all theanswers, and you lead, and
that's the way it is.
There's no other sort ofdiscussion around it.
Things have changed a bit.
This is when we first went in.
This is like 15 years ago, butthings have changed quite a bit
now.
It's it's become a differentplace.
(26:15):
But there's still a lot ofunwritten rules that you don't
know about that are culturalthere.
And also everywhere else, MiddleEast, different parts of Asia.
I don't care where you go.
Each country has a differentsort of set of style of how they
do things.
But I love that.
SPEAKER_00 (26:28):
I love learning about that, and it's exciting.
So let's be honest, restaurantsare a tough business, right?
Oh my gosh, brutal.
I read a stat the other day.
75% of new restaurants failwithin the first year.
SPEAKER_01 (26:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:42):
Wow.
You have gone from being theculinary star in the kitchen to
also being an industry-leadingrestaurateur.
What advice do you give tofolks, chefs, if you will, that
want to transfer from thekitchen to being their own
restaurateur?
They want to own their ownbusiness.
Talk to me about your advice tothe businessman that wants to
(27:03):
run a restaurant.
SPEAKER_01 (27:04):
Well, I think you need to find a good advisor, a
good mentor, somebody thatreally tells you how it is and
learn as much as you can fromthem.
That's number one.
I think you should get on thephone or reach out to other
successful restaurateurs thathave done it.
Ask them how they did, fly inand meet with them, you know,
have a coffee, whatever ittakes, you know, just spend some
time with people that have beenthere and done that and, you
know, have some questionsprepared and figure out what it
(27:27):
is that you really want tolearn.
The best way is to get in and doit.
Like I said, if I knew all thedifficulties, I don't know that
I would have ever gone into thisbusiness.
I don't think I would do thisbusiness now.
If this, if I had to start overright now, I wouldn't want to do
this business.
Interesting.
Really?
Oh, I don't think so, man.
I think it's um surprises me.
Yeah.
Well, look, I'm not saying thatI would change anything about
(27:48):
what I've done.
I love everything that I'vedone, man.
It's what I was meant to do.
But I think it's too hard.
I'm saying it's starting at 51to start over and to build that
up again.
I don't know that I could be inthe kitchen for 18 hours a day
and that's what I mean.
SPEAKER_00 (28:02):
That I get 100%.
SPEAKER_01 (28:04):
I would still want to create concepts.
I would still want to createrestaurants.
I'd still want to be global.
Like, not none of that wouldchange.
It's just more about, I don'tknow that I could hang, you
know.
I think you got to get outthere, get really clear about
what you want to do more thanever.
I we talked about this threetimes now.
This is the third time thisword's coming up, but I think
you got to be as authentic aspossible about what you're
doing.
You've got to have a point ofview with what you're doing and
(28:25):
your concept that is unlikeanybody else.
And you got to like believe init to no end.
Go, you're you're gonna go toMars with this thing.
You just have to believe in itso much.
And then you will find a way.
You will find a way.
If it's really important foryou, you will find a way and you
will do it.
SPEAKER_00 (28:42):
What I'm loving about this series is you are
about the third entrepreneurthat I've spoken to in this
series, where fitness bubbled upas a common theme and where
networking bubbled up as acommon theme.
You know, in in another episode,we talk about uh young
entrepreneurs that might want tostart their own bed and
breakfast or inn and howaccessing capital is an issue.
(29:04):
And, you know, the guest, DavidBowd, really talked through man,
you got to get out there andnetwork with people in the
finance business.
And oh, by the way, if you're ahotel beer, that might not be
the people you normally interactwith.
So this theme of network, findan advisor, talk to people,
that's such a common theme, Ithink, and I hope a theme that
our listeners are picking up on.
(29:24):
Networking.
Get out there, talk to people.
Don't do it alone.
Get advice.
I love that advice from you.
I really do.
SPEAKER_01 (29:31):
You've nailed it, Blake.
And I think you're good at that,actually.
I mean, you're you're so good atconnecting and talking to people
and finding if you don't knowsomething, you're gonna find
someone who does know it.
Part of that goes to thatcuriosity and being fearless,
just going for it, forget aboutyou know how you look or
worrying about mistakes on it.
You just you go after it.
And I I will always say this Imy grandmother said this to me,
(29:52):
and I really love that.
She goes, if you really want it,you'll do it.
If you don't, you won't.
But if you really, really wantit, you'll find a way.
Because none of it's easy.
No, man.
And that's why you have to makesure that it's worth it, you
know, and that you're doing whatyou love, and at least for me.
SPEAKER_00 (30:06):
Let's talk about our shared passion.
Travel.
Oh, yes.
When did you realize that travelwas your passion and everything
that it gave you?
SPEAKER_01 (30:16):
My first trip internationally, I moved to
France.
That was my first trip.
My first stamp in my passport, Iliterally moved to France.
And I went there to go work.
I was so excited to be in adifferent culture where I heard
a different language, to bearound, you know, I'm just
observing the people.
Oh my God.
And that was it.
I had the bug.
That was, it was, it was done.
(30:37):
Done.
Then I would say it reallyramped up and I had to really
evaluate what I wanted to do inAmerica and how I was going to
get to become global.
And that was after my first tripto Asia.
You're going to love this story.
You'll appreciate this.
So I just started my firstexecutive chef job in Los
Angeles at a hotel at the time.
(30:58):
It was a boutique hotel.
It was one of the best calledLermatage Hotel.
Of course.
And knew it well.
Super hot.
Raffles bought that hotel.
Raffles from Singapore, famedhotel.
Bought that hotel the second daythat I was there.
So their acquisition team flewover.
They met with the GM first andthen they met with me, which I
was like, why are you meetingwith me?
(31:19):
And they're like, Do you knowabout our brand?
60% of our revenue comes fromFB.
40% comes from rooms.
You're on a plane to Singaporetomorrow.
I'm like, Singapore?
Oh my God.
That sounds amazing.
And so they're like, we want youto create a new concept for us.
We're going to send you toCambodia, to Thailand, to Japan,
all of these places.
Come to Singapore and you're ona plane tomorrow.
(31:40):
I want a plane the next day.
I went and I fell in love withAsia and just, it's so
different.
It was so different thananything that I had ever
experienced.
And I'm like, I'm doing this.
I don't care what it takes.
I'm getting restaurants aroundthis.
And then it was just never, itwas never ending.
You know, I love the flights.
I love the different airportlounges.
I love the jet lag.
(32:01):
I love um, you know, hearing thedifferent languages.
SPEAKER_00 (32:03):
We do.
We're a glutton for punishment.
SPEAKER_01 (32:05):
Yeah, man.
I'm telling you, you know how itis.
I do.
SPEAKER_00 (32:09):
Interesting that Raffles identified you that
quickly.
SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
Well, I mean, I it wasn't about me.
I think it was just luck, but ittook off.
Interestingly, that restaurant,it was called Jean.
It was the precursor to my veryfirst restaurant, Sona.
Interestingly, Jean opened tobecome one of the top
restaurants in Singapore.
And I hoped to launch thatoriginally with the chef that
they had.
It wasn't my menu or anything,but I flew over and helped them.
But Jean in LA was J-A-A-N waslike the precursor to Sona.
(32:39):
And it enabled me to going toAsia and being on that trip
changed everything for me.
I found my own style.
I found the heartbeat to what Iwanted to do.
I knew this was the direction.
I came back and I launched, andthat's when I first started
getting noticed.
Food and wine, et cetera,launched my restaurant.
SPEAKER_00 (32:55):
So I say this all the time about my career.
I think I'm a talented guy.
I think I work hard.
I think I'm kind of smart, butI've never downplayed the role
luck had in my career.
Sometimes I was just at theright place at the right time.
And we can talk all day longabout if you make your own luck,
et cetera, et cetera.
But I've always been so gratefulthat, you know, at some points
(33:16):
in my career, it was just asymbiotic of talent and chutzpah
and a little bit of luck, maybe,you know.
Nothing wrong with that.
Take advantage of it when itpresents itself.
SPEAKER_01 (33:27):
100%.
I mean, you could have said itany better.
I'll take luck any day.
I also think, you know, maybethis is a little more spiritual
side because I'm in Bali andwe've got incense burning and
it's other gods.
But man, I truly believe thatthe moment you put it out there,
you know, you put it out there,whether it's in the universe in
your own mind, whatever it is.
I really believe this.
Goethe talked about this, thegreat Austrian philosopher.
(33:49):
The moment you put it out there,providence moves and everything
comes to help you.
And I really believe that.
And I think that's luck.
I think it's part of you'reputting that energy out there
and people are getting behindyou with it.
And man, that is what alsomotivates me.
That is also what drives me.
That gives me energy andexcitement.
SPEAKER_00 (34:06):
David, as we wrap up today, I'm I'm looking at your
bio and I'm looking at all therestaurants you've been
associated with and all the manyTV appearances you've done, top
chef, master chef US, HillsKitchen.
I'm looking at your list ofaccolades, Michelin, James
Beard.
What gives you the most joy?
I mean, you you're kicking on somany fronts right now.
(34:27):
You're doing TV, you're in newrestaurants, you're running
business.
What gives you the most joy?
SPEAKER_01 (34:33):
Wow, that's a really intense question that I actually
haven't given a lot of thoughtto.
There's a lot of things, but Iwould say creating something,
seeing it come to life, and thatmagic that happens sometimes,
not always, but sometimes whereeverything comes together just
right, where the guests areloving it, the team is dialed
(34:53):
in, you can see that sparkcranking, and you know you're
building to something bigger,not just in one place, but
you're looking to grow this andyou know it's got legs for that.
Knowing that all that work, allthat energy, all of that late
night, waking up in the middleof the night, wondering if it's
the right idea, wondering ifyou're on the right track is all
coming together.
(35:14):
That's where I say it brings mejoy, brings me happiness.
And the other part would be justworking with insane talent.
They make it come to life, youknow, the team and makes me a
better person.
And I really love that.
I'm not kidding you.
I really, really love to bearound talented, high-energy
driven people that have skillsthat I don't have.
(35:34):
And I'm always in awe.
I'm like, oh my God, how did youdo that?
So those are some things that Ithink I'll take with me to the
very end, and I'll be verygrateful for having those
moments.
SPEAKER_00 (35:44):
So you are a Michelin-starred chef, an
industry highlight.
I'm a first-time podcaster, butI am so inspired by you that it
was all the Hutzpah I couldmuster to reach out to you and
say, Would you do my littlepodcast?
And you were so gracious toimmediately say, Yes, Blake, I
will do it.
I want to sit down, let's have achat.
(36:05):
Which you didn't have to do, bythe way.
So thank you for your graciousacceptance.
It means a lot to me.
Here's what I admire the mostabout you.
You're not only a creativeforce, but you are so authentic.
You are who you are.
You walk the talk.
I follow you on Instagram.
I see you in the gym.
I see you traveling.
I see you meeting with yourteens.
(36:26):
And I'm like, this is a guy Iwant to learn more about.
And so thank you for sharingtoday.
I really appreciate it.
I have a final question for you.
It's a biggie.
Yes.
What do you hope your legacywill be?
SPEAKER_01 (36:39):
I've given that some thought too.
I would say that I hope I'veshown that never giving up,
trying to do the right thing,and being really, really focused
on bringing some magic to lifefor not just creation, but also
people, most importantly, andmaking an impact there.
(37:00):
That for me is what I'm hopingI've achieved and creating some
pretty cool stuff along the way.
SPEAKER_00 (37:06):
David Myers, Gypsy Chef, thank you for spending
time with me today on HotelDaddy.
I appreciate you.
SPEAKER_01 (37:12):
Blake, it's such an honor, man.
I'm so excited to be a part ofthis.
And thank you so much forreaching out and even
considering me to be on this.
It's so special, and I'mexcited, and I just know this is
going to be massive for you.
You were meant to do this.
So thank you so much for lettingme be on your show.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (37:29):
And I'm going to see you over Art Basel in Miami.
Talk to you later, my friend.
Gaway.
Thanks, Blake.
Thanks for listening to HotelDaddy with your host, Blake
Danner.
Be sure to like and subscribewherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to Hotel Daddy.
I'm your host, Blake Danner.
Today's guest is Michelinstarred chef David Meyer.
In today's episode, we're justgoing to dive right in and get
to know David, exploring hisunique journey and the stories
that have shaped his career infood, beverage, and hospitality.
Whether you're an industryinsider or you just love a good
story, you're in the rightplace.
(00:27):
So hey kids, if you're listeningwhile you're driving, keep those
hands at 10 and 3, settle in,and enjoy the ride.
As we open the doors to HotelDaddy.
Chef David Myers, a globalcitizen with an insatiable
hunger for travel, is aninternationally renowned
Michelin-starred chef andrestaurateur based across Asia,
(00:50):
the United States, and theMiddle East, recognized for his
unique ways of marrying his twogreatest passions, food and
travel.
David has opened 20 restaurantsin eight cities across three
continents.
We're going to talk about thatbecause I don't think he's done.
David is an award-winning chef,restaurateur, and global
culinary nomad, known forblending modern sensibilities
(01:13):
with a deep respect for localculture and ingredients.
He's often referred to as thegypsy chef.
David has traveled the world todraw inspiration, going from the
streets of Tokyo to the marketsof Marrakesh, crafting unique
dining experiences thattranscend borders.
A James Beard award winner andfounder of several acclaimed
(01:34):
restaurants in the US, Asia, andthe Middle East, including names
like Adrift, Salt, Hinoki andthe Bird, Myers is recognized
for his innovative approach tocuisine and design forward
concepts.
His cooking style reflects afusion of French technique,
California freshness, and globalflavors.
With frequent appearances ontelevision shows including Top
(01:56):
Chef, Iron Chef America,features in Forbes, Esquire, and
the New York Times.
Chef Myers continues to push theboundaries of food, travel, and
culture.
Chef Myers, welcome to HotelDaddy.
SPEAKER_01 (02:12):
Blake, thank you, man.
What an intro.
My God, I gotta get my family tolisten to that.
SPEAKER_00 (02:18):
Well, here's the thing that is just about a third
of your real bio, my friend.
I mean, I didn't even talk aboutthe chefs you've worked at,
where you've worked, therestaurants you've worked at.
So we're gonna get into allthat.
But we like to start everyepisode with something I like to
call who's in the lobby.
You ready?
Let's do it.
(02:38):
All right, I'm gonna fire somerapid fire questions at you,
David.
Your name, David Myers.
Your zodiac sign.
I'm an Aries.
Favorite fashion designer.
I would say Salon.
All right.
What's your go-to comfort food?
Oh my god, pasta.
Love it.
One kitchen tool you can't livewithout.
(03:01):
My Japanese chef knife.
SPEAKER_01 (03:04):
All right.
Dream dinner guest.
It can be alive or historical,but who do you gotta have?
Oh man, there's so many.
I'd say Oscar Wilde would be anamazing one.
The guy is just so clever.
Last movie you saw.
F1.
Awesome.
Shoes or flip-flops?
Blake, I'm in Bali.
Flip-flops, man.
SPEAKER_00 (03:23):
Well, follow-up question.
Favorite place to surf.
I would say Bali.
And final question favoritefitness activity.
Surfing, hands down.
Love it.
I think I knew that one.
David, you had an amazingcareer.
You continue to do new things,challenge yourself.
But what first drew you into theculinary world?
SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Oh, I got really blessed because I found what I
loved at a young age when I hadthe energy and I didn't know any
better.
And you know, I could get in andmake all the mistakes in the
world and still have some timeto figure it out.
I went to school forinternational business.
I dropped out to be a chef, andnow I'm doing international
business.
So go figure.
SPEAKER_00 (04:06):
But I do know how to cook.
So hold on, let's follow up onthat for a second because I find
it so interesting.
So many creative chefs that theycome to the passion of food.
It's not always unnatural thatthey can transition into being
successful entrepreneurs.
You, my friend, have done that.
What was your secret?
(04:26):
And why do you think it worksfor you and doesn't for others?
SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
I don't know that I found my way with it yet.
I'm still learning every day,believe me.
I made a lot of mistakes and youknow, been lucky a lot of times
as well.
I really enjoy creatingsomething.
I enjoy bringing something tolife.
I don't go into a new concept ornew idea and think, oh my God,
what if this or what if that orwhat, you know, if I knew all
(04:51):
the challenges that I would havein opening a restaurant, not
just in my hometown, but alsoabroad in different countries, I
would never do it.
Part of the real success hasbeen I've had blinders on with
these type of things.
I have an idea, I want to do it,and I just go for it and I
figure it out along the way.
But the biggest thing I wouldsay, looking at it from a
different viewpoint, I think thebiggest thing, Blake, has been
(05:13):
I've surrounded myself withreally amazing people.
And I go to them humbly and I'mlike, I have no idea what the
hell I'm doing here.
What do you think?
How should I handle this?
How should I do that?
And then I am like a sponge tolearn everything I can that
they're saying.
And I researched the heck out ofit as well.
SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
How important is it as a leader to be able to admit
what you don't know?
SPEAKER_01 (05:34):
I think it's really important.
I mean, when I was younger, Iwas probably full of a lot of
ego, thought I knew everythingin the world, you know, just an
idiot, an absolute idiot.
But as you get a little moreexperience, especially once
you've had some failures, somechallenges, whatever, that stuff
goes away pretty quickly.
And you have to recognize rightaway hey, the only thing that
(05:55):
matters is how can I succeed?
How can I move forward?
How can I make sure the teamwins?
And that is when you raise yourhand, you're like, hey, I don't
know how to do this.
How should I do this?
What do you think?
Finding the right answers fromthe right people has been really
key for me.
SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
We've talked about going from cooking and the
creative arts to getting into abusiness and leadership role.
How do you see the role of chefevolving over the next decade,
not just for yourself, but inthe industry?
SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
I have nothing but respect for chefs across the
board because we are people thathave to know it all.
You know, we have to knowaccounting, we have to know
business development, we have toknow construction, we have to
know financials, HR.
It's like it's nuts.
Nobody in the history of runningcompanies has to know every
little detail of these things,but we do because you know, we
(06:43):
don't have massive teamstypically when we're first
starting out.
It's nuts to me all that we haveto uh absorb and find our way to
lead with.
AI is gonna make a massiveimpact on helping us.
It's gonna give us a lot ofoptions on bouncing ideas off of
AI and figuring out certainthings from a business
perspective that maybe we'rechallenged with.
(07:06):
But I do think that the core ofwhat we do is always gonna be
the same.
And that core is to deliver agreat experience for people and
to make them feel happy and wantto come back and figure out how
to make money from that.
I don't think that will everchange.
SPEAKER_00 (07:19):
So interesting.
This is why we have theseconversations.
Because if you'd have told methat we were gonna have this
conversation and a chef wasgonna talk to me about AI, I
would have said, nope, that'snot a path we're going down.
I get it.
By the way, I love yourrecognition of it, and I think
you're correct.
I think it's gonna make a hugeimpact on all of our industries,
(07:40):
whether it is in leadership, inmanagement, even in creative
arts.
David, you earned a Michelinstar very early in your career.
Congratulations, by the way.
Thank you.
How did that change yourtrajectory?
SPEAKER_01 (07:52):
Well, I think it opened up a lot of doors that we
didn't even recognize at thetime.
I didn't set out to open arestaurant just to go for a
Michelin star.
I set out to be the best chef inthe world.
That was my mission.
Michelin was just a part of itand all these other things.
I was driven for creating thebest experience for our guests,
but you need the accolades tohave the credibility and to get
(08:13):
the guests coming into yourrestaurant.
So I was pushing like crazy toget that.
I had the pleasure of workingand the luck to have worked for
a lot of really great chefsbefore I launched my first
place.
And I was so grateful to havethe opportunity that Michelin
even came to LA and we were ableto be a part of that.
It was game-changing in so manyways, Blake, because it just
opened up doors.
(08:33):
It gave us access to newopportunities.
But then there is a massivepressure component that comes
with that.
It's also equal to the pressurethat we always put ourselves
under every single day, anyway,trying to deliver great
experience, trying to blow ourguests away.
SPEAKER_00 (08:49):
You just said something I want to follow up
on, which is the pressure we setup for ourselves.
It's like a record artist,right?
When they have a hit record andit's the pressure to do the next
one.
You've opened hit restaurantsand it's the pressure to do the
next one.
How do you deal with that?
What's your coping mechanism toevery time you open something
new to recognize that you've gotall this history?
There are expectations.
SPEAKER_01 (09:09):
Yeah, it is tough.
And over the years, it hasn'tlessened that pressure.
It hasn't gotten easier.
I mean, it's still the same.
In fact, if anything, it's evenharder now.
It's even like the stakes areeven higher.
All I can do is I have to do afew things.
First of all, I the way I set mylife up in order to be who I am,
in order to be able to createand develop and lead and grow a
(09:32):
business.
There's certain things I have todo to make that happen.
Number one, I need to meditate.
I meditate every single day,every morning.
I try to do it twice a day, butusually it's once.
I do what's calledtranscendental meditation.
And some really successfulpeople have been doing that.
And that's how I learned aboutit.
And so I'm like, well, ifthey're doing it and they're
that successful, maybe I shouldlook into this.
(09:53):
And I'd say it's beengame-changing for me.
And if you don't do it, Blake,I'm getting you into it next
time I see you.
But that's one thing.
I'm up for it.
Awesome.
The other is exercise.
I am always running like hot andalways have a lot of energy.
And I need to burn off, youknow, sometimes some negative
energy or just my mind is, youknow, going a thousand miles a
(10:13):
minute thinking about stuff.
So exercise has been kind ofthat holy grail for me to get
myself centered, stay healthy,stay fit, which is incredibly
important for us and ourbusiness.
Those foundations, those twothings have been kind of the
bedrock for me to be able to goin, handle the pressure, and
deal with what I need to dealwith.
And honestly, pressure is aprivilege, man.
(10:36):
It's a real privilege to havethat pressure.
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
We have to remember that.
We have to remember that.
SPEAKER_01 (10:39):
Yeah.
I'm grateful for it.
I'm so happy to even have theopportunity to be doing
something where there's pressurelike that.
And when things get really hard,I'm like, bring it on.
Let's go.
SPEAKER_00 (10:49):
I want to double down on your vision of fitness
for a second because look, we'rea few episodes in now to uh
doing this series, and there's areal common thread amongst all
of the successful leaders thatI'm talking to.
And physical fitness has beenone of them and how each of them
incorporates it into their life.
(11:09):
I want to tell a quick littlestory, which is, you know, you
and I met because we're doing aproject together down in Miami.
By the way, you want to, beforewe do that, you want to just
tell the folks a little bitabout the project that we do
together in Miami, your take onit.
SPEAKER_01 (11:21):
Absolutely.
I'd love to.
Well, first of all, I'm reallyfortunate I get to work with you
and with AKA and theirincredible brand in Brickle in
Miami.
It's an incredible property.
When Larry Corman, the CEO, hadreached out about this
opportunity and he knew of myrestaurants in Los Angeles, I
immediately jumped at it.
I thought the brand wasremarkable.
There was an alignment with us.
I also like how AKA Exadriftjust works.
(11:44):
It seems very cool and fitting.
We launched a drift Mare, whichis our take on Mediterranean
experience in Miami.
It's very fitting.
I was just summing off a coupleof concepts we developed,
restaurants in Dubai.
And to me, Miami is the sistercity to Dubai.
I mean, just to vibe and yes, Iknow there's a bit more of a
Latin flair, obviously, inMiami, but there's an energy and
(12:06):
the way that people presentthemselves in Miami.
It's just, it's just like Dubai.
There's just this buzz, a lot ofhot restaurants.
We wanted to come out of thegate with something that was
very fitting.
We're right on the water.
We get these stunning viewsoverlooking the water there.
And it's just absolutelyremarkable.
And in my opinion, one of themost dynamic cities in America
right now.
So, you know, to be able to dothis adrift Mare with aka and to
(12:28):
be a part of the property isjust incredible.
And it's also, by the way, sidenote, awesome working with you
as well, Blake.
SPEAKER_00 (12:34):
Yeah, well, thank you.
So listen, interesting.
A lot of the hotel geeks thatlisten to this show know my
career and know the chefs thatI've worked with in the past.
And I've been incrediblyfortunate to work with a lot of
top name chefs.
And I'm so happy to add you tothat roster.
But you, my friend, are not onlyamongst the most talented, but
you're just one of the mostgracious people to work with.
(12:55):
And I appreciate that.
And people who are listeningshould know that.
You're just a heck of a niceguy.
And that's why I'm glad we'retalking today.
So let's go back to fitness fora second.
I love telling this storybecause you mentioned Larry
Corman, who is the founder andCEO of AKA.
And you know, when I was what Ilike to call Courton, when I was
Courton with Larry and thinkingabout joining the organization,
(13:15):
he said, Blake, I really wantyou to meet David Myers.
He's going to be the chef forMiami.
I love his passion.
I love his vision.
His ethos aligns with our ethos.
I can't wait till you meet him.
And then he grins and he goes,And Blake, he's the only chef I
know that has an eight pack.
I didn't get it at first.
I thought he meant like someproduct you and then he said,
(13:35):
No, he's he like he's super fit.
And then, of course, I meet youand I start following on
Instagram.
Dude, you travel internationallyevery month.
You're in kitchens, you'rearound food.
Your schedule is as crazy asmine.
Talk to me about the commitmentand how you protect time for
(13:57):
including fitness in what is aclearly crazy schedule.
SPEAKER_01 (14:01):
Yeah, well, I gotta tell you, man, it's everything.
It's that important.
I make it a priority and it'snon-negotiable.
Like I have my time, I go to thegym.
I don't care where I am in theworld, I hit it.
I just hit it.
And if it has to be late afterservice, that's when I go.
If it has to be really early, 4a.m., that's when I go.
Because the reward I get fromit, it's remarkable.
(14:22):
You know, it again, it enablesme to be me.
And I need that energy.
It's all about creating thisgreat energy, and I need that
energy.
And so working out has donethat.
You know, during COVID, Iremember I was flying back from
Singapore.
And at that time, I was on aplane 50 weeks out of the year
internationally.
I literally lived on aircraftsand different time zones.
I was perpetually jet lagged.
(14:44):
And I still worked out, but notto the point like I do now.
I finally figured it out.
I hired the right guy.
His name's Kirk Miller.
He has a program called Built toLast.
It's amazing.
I landed back in Los Angeles,last flight out of Singapore.
They shut the world down.
And I'm like, I had to createthree big goals for myself
during that period.
Otherwise, I was gonna go nuts,right?
So one of them was to get in thebest shape of my life.
(15:06):
And I hired this guy, I did thiswhole program, I dropped a bunch
of fat.
I got really ripped and I feltamazing.
I'd never done it before.
It was a massive win for me.
And it was that setting up agoal that was so difficult,
achieving it.
And then it just was like thenext goal and the next goal and
the next goal.
So the fitness component was notjust even about getting fit and
getting healthy, but it was alsoabout winning and having these
(15:28):
big goals you put forward andachieving them.
It's just kind of gone hand inhand with me.
And also, you know, I've seen alot of chefs that are not
healthy.
Some unfortunately have passedon early, which always hurts to
see friends go.
A lot of this stuff ispreventable in some ways with
lifestyle choices and how wetake care of ourselves.
The problem is when you're inthe kitchen and you're working
(15:48):
all the time, you have no energyfor it.
And that's why you have tocreate that energy through the
training.
Great point.
And it's made all the differencein the world.
And I'm going all in on this,Blake.
Like I'm creating a brand, a newbrand that I want to do that's
entirely geared towards wellnessand vitality.
Still on a, you know, reallyhigh level.
Well, it's just something, youknow, on the Adrift side that is
(16:10):
really passionate for me to finda way that we can create an
experience that's focused onwellness and vitality.
So in Bali, I live in Bali.
This is a wellness-orientedisland, you know, it's called
Island of the Gods.
I want to create with our Adriftbrand a place, whether it's a
small boutique hotel that hasthe whole FB component that's
geared towards wellness andvitality, but something that is
(16:31):
centered completely aroundfitness, the recovery component
of that, the cuisine that we'llcreate.
We're going to create somethingtotally different that is still
exceptional.
Balance is really where it's at.
It's not about going off thedeep end and being like the full
carnivore diet, keto, or this orthat.
It's about balance, right?
And so I want to create a brandthat's centered around, you
know, all the skills that I'vecreated for all of these years,
(16:54):
but around wellness andvitality.
That's how impassionate I am.
We launched a matcha brand lastyear.
And this matcha brand, you know,matcha is so healthy, right?
It's got all these amazingproperties.
So this kind of kickstarted theidea of how do I bring in all my
loves right now, what I do everyday, how do I create businesses
out of that?
Because I'm spending all my timedoing it.
Let's find another avenue withthis to bring it into our brand.
So that's what we're working on.
SPEAKER_00 (17:15):
Do you love that intersection of your personal
passion of fitness and what thetrends are in health and
wellness right now?
Is that an intersection that youreally want to spend time in?
SPEAKER_01 (17:27):
I do.
It's, I mean, it's a core partof who I am.
And just like travel has been asignificant part of who I am,
that will continue to play in mybrands.
I mean, all I'm trying to do isbring out the things that I'm
passionate about and I'menjoying.
And that's how I want to buildmy business around because I
find that A, I'm happier doingit.
B, I think it resonates withpeople.
(17:47):
They see that authenticity.
SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
Authenticity.
Uh-huh.
Right?
A hundred percent.
I see it in you.
They feel it.
One of the things that I lovethe most about you is you are
your authentic self.
And I think what you've justsaid is something I really want
our listeners to double down on,which is the authentic self is
what resonates, whether it's inyour product, it's in your
leadership.
Authenticity is a word we needto continue to underpin in what
(18:12):
we do.
SPEAKER_01 (18:13):
Now more than ever, Blake.
That's something AI will nevertake away.
SPEAKER_00 (18:17):
Bingo.
I love it.
Let's go back to food for asecond.
Yes.
What makes a dish trulyunforgettable in your eyes?
SPEAKER_01 (18:23):
It comes down to being done as simply as
possible, made with a lot oflove and great ingredients.
And again, as simple aspossible.
Some of the greatest dishes I'veever had are like one or two
items.
And, you know, I could saymultiple things from Japan or
from Italy or whatever, but Ifind the best food is really
something that's been grown withlove, unbelievable flavor, done
(18:45):
as simply as possible.
And I think I got really luckyearly on in my life.
My grandparents, I spent a lotof time with them.
They essentially raised me.
I was up in the garden workingevery summer, like all the time.
And here's a cool story.
You're gonna love this one.
So they had a big garden, and Ihad to go up and I had to work
in the garden and I hated it.
I just wanted to be out with myfriends, whatever.
But we used to have at the endof the long driveway, we had um
(19:07):
a little farmer's stand, right?
Uh uh, it was a wheelbarrow, andit had like this wooden plank
over it, and then all thevegetables that I picked that
morning put it out there.
And so they started this when Iwas born, and they basically
collected all the money of thatover the 18 years to put me
through college.
Oh, wow.
Oh man, it's an unbelievablestory.
Like they saved up for that.
(19:28):
What I got out of it was acouple of things.
Number one, I got the value ofmoney.
Number two, I understood what agreat tomato tastes like.
I understood what great zucchiniand great corn tasted like.
I understood when it wasn'tready, when it was over.
And so it really developed mypalate.
What a gift.
Oh man, I'm telling you,priceless.
So you ask me, what do I thinkmakes a great dish?
(19:49):
I think a great dish isunbelievable ingredients.
You do the bare minimum to them.
So yeah, you can be as creativeas you want bringing this
together, but something that'scravable at the end, you're
like, I always craved mygrandma's food, how she cooked
it.
I just craved it because it wasso good and simple.
SPEAKER_00 (20:05):
You know, it's so interesting.
No one has ever dated me for myculinary excellence.
I will be honest.
I am I am not talented in thekitchen, I will admit.
But one of the things I alwayshear from people like yourself
who are just culinary excellenceis simplicity.
Usually their message issimplicity is normally a
gracious example of a good dish.
(20:26):
I find that commonalityinteresting.
How do you balance traditionwith innovation in your cuisine?
You do a lot of traditionalstuff, but in a really
innovative way.
But what's that balance to you?
SPEAKER_01 (20:38):
Well, I think for me, the innovation part is just
bringing in my creativity, whichI want to put my mark on
something.
I just enjoy it.
I'm trying to think of a coolway to do it.
But the traditional part is likemy foundation.
It's my framework of what I'mgoing to be focused on, how I'm
going to work it out.
But then I try to bring in, youknow, my thoughts around it.
So instead of just like aperfect roast chicken, all
right, how can we do that withif you're lime leaf, galongol
(21:00):
root, some fish sauce, somelime?
Like that could be really anepic dish.
Maybe you have some forbiddenrice that's stuffed inside of
the chicken as it roasts and itcooks like that.
These are the ways that I thinkabout it.
So you take a classic, perfectlydone dish and you find your own
little tweak on it based oninspiration you've had.
For me, my inspiration came frommy travels.
(21:20):
So being in Singapore, being inCambodia, some of those
ingredients that I justmentioned were from a trip in
Cambodia.
That's the style, that's wherethe magic comes in.
And that is what makes meexcited about cooking.
SPEAKER_00 (21:31):
You just set me up for a question I really wanted
to ask you, which is you'veworked across many, many
cultures.
You've put together all thesedifferent types of flavors.
How do you adapt the flavorwithout losing the authenticity?
And the reason I ask, becauseyou know, I'm the business guy,
there's commercialconsiderations, right?
How do you adapt, but still makethose what I know have got to be
(21:53):
sometimes business decisions?
SPEAKER_01 (21:56):
When I first started, a lot of mentors told
me, look, David, you createthis, you pick it up, you drop
it into Dubai, just as it is.
You know, you don't need tochange it and all of that stuff,
right?
I don't know.
I don't agree at all.
It doesn't work.
There's just different eatingstyles.
They don't like this, they don'tlike that.
I approached it from a verydifferent way, Blake.
I approached it as we're gonnado what we do, but we want to be
(22:19):
in these other countries, wewant to be in these other cities
and these other cultures.
We got to figure out how we'regonna make it succeed in these
places.
Let's figure out what they like,what they don't like.
Would this work?
Would this not work?
Let's go check out the otherrestaurants.
What are they doing well?
What are they not doing well?
We do our research, you know.
We're not just gonna come inblindly and drop our concept and
say, hey, there you go.
We're coming in and we're likereally thoughtful about it.
(22:40):
We know what we want.
We're gonna deliver ourexperience, but our experience
doesn't have to be this is thefood, black and white, and
that's how it is, you like it oryou don't, because we won't be
in business very long.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
What's the biggest challenge in running restaurants
across so many differentcountries and cultures?
Yeah, well, where to begin?
We're gonna talk about that.
We're gonna talk about how youmaintain cohesive teams.
If your leadership style has tochange, so take off, my friend.
I want to explore the challengesinvolved in being a
multinational organization likeyourself.
SPEAKER_01 (23:09):
Well, first of all, I'm grateful for the challenges
and I'm happy to have theopportunity because that was my
dream, always international,right?
With that said, there's tons ofchallenges, time zones for one.
You know, you've got a globalteam and you need to stay in
touch with them, keep yourfinger on the pulse.
It's like a 24-hour business.
Sometimes I have meetings at twoin the morning because that's
the only time we can do it.
And it's terrible for keeping aconsistent setup of life, but it
(23:32):
is what it is.
So that's one.
Two, cultures.
You think you know about aculture, you don't know anything
until you spend some time andyou really observe.
Experience is the only wayyou're gonna learn about it.
And so sometimes you make somemistakes, sometimes it takes
longer to learn or figuresomething out.
So that's a massive challenge.
The leadership style is very,very different from country to
country.
(23:53):
You go to one country andthey're very sharp, they're very
fast.
Other countries, you have to beextremely gentle in every way
that you urge them to follow youon how you want to do things.
It could be vastly, vastlydifferent.
SPEAKER_00 (24:06):
Give me an example of a time where you've been in a
moment and you recognized inthat moment, wow, this isn't
translating for this particularculture or this particular
group.
Like, is there ever that momentwhere in the moment you said to
yourself, oh, okay, this isn'tgoing the way I wanted?
I need to moderate my style.
SPEAKER_01 (24:22):
Yeah, Japan is a great one.
The Japanese won't say no, evenwhen they mean no.
And so I'm creating these dishesand I'm thinking this style is
going to work.
They just say yes, yes, yes.
They know for sure it'sabsolutely not that this is
something that the Japanesedon't particularly like.
I remember we were, it was ourfirst restaurant, and we also
had my whole team coming in.
(24:44):
We had our chefers coming fromLondon, and it's a bit more of
an intense environment thatthese guys were coming from.
So we're in Japan and they'revery, very polite, and they
don't say no, but they havedeference to you as a leader.
And that's not how we want tooperate.
That's not how we operate.
We want the team to buy intowhat we're doing.
We're gonna tell them this ishow we do it, but we want them
(25:05):
to like be excited by it, right?
And be ambassadors for it, notjust because we tell them to.
It took a lot of time to coachthem and coax them to open up a
little bit and say, hey, that'snot gonna work here in Japan.
This style is not going to workin Japan.
You can't communicate like this,or you can't showcase the food
like this.
It's rude because my God, Blake,there are so many unwritten
(25:27):
rules in Japan, you can't evenreally imagine.
Yeah.
How do you get your head aroundthat?
Just being in the culture, beinginvolved?
I mean, it's only experience.
So it just takes time and ittakes those mistakes, and
someone kind of whispering inyour ear, like, uh, no, no, no,
that's that's not how you you doit.
SPEAKER_00 (25:44):
Back to authenticity.
Do they respect when you go,okay, I get that doesn't work?
SPEAKER_01 (25:49):
No, because that's cultural.
SPEAKER_00 (25:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (25:53):
It's culture, and the leader is the leader, and
that's all there is to it.
And so actually, no, it's verydifferent than America.
It's very, very different fromthat style.
They expect you to have all theanswers, and you lead, and
that's the way it is.
There's no other sort ofdiscussion around it.
Things have changed a bit.
This is when we first went in.
This is like 15 years ago, butthings have changed quite a bit
now.
It's it's become a differentplace.
(26:15):
But there's still a lot ofunwritten rules that you don't
know about that are culturalthere.
And also everywhere else, MiddleEast, different parts of Asia.
I don't care where you go.
Each country has a differentsort of set of style of how they
do things.
But I love that.
SPEAKER_00 (26:28):
I love learning about that, and it's exciting.
So let's be honest, restaurantsare a tough business, right?
Oh my gosh, brutal.
I read a stat the other day.
75% of new restaurants failwithin the first year.
SPEAKER_01 (26:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:42):
Wow.
You have gone from being theculinary star in the kitchen to
also being an industry-leadingrestaurateur.
What advice do you give tofolks, chefs, if you will, that
want to transfer from thekitchen to being their own
restaurateur?
They want to own their ownbusiness.
Talk to me about your advice tothe businessman that wants to
(27:03):
run a restaurant.
SPEAKER_01 (27:04):
Well, I think you need to find a good advisor, a
good mentor, somebody thatreally tells you how it is and
learn as much as you can fromthem.
That's number one.
I think you should get on thephone or reach out to other
successful restaurateurs thathave done it.
Ask them how they did, fly inand meet with them, you know,
have a coffee, whatever ittakes, you know, just spend some
time with people that have beenthere and done that and, you
know, have some questionsprepared and figure out what it
(27:27):
is that you really want tolearn.
The best way is to get in and doit.
Like I said, if I knew all thedifficulties, I don't know that
I would have ever gone into thisbusiness.
I don't think I would do thisbusiness now.
If this, if I had to start overright now, I wouldn't want to do
this business.
Interesting.
Really?
Oh, I don't think so, man.
I think it's um surprises me.
Yeah.
Well, look, I'm not saying thatI would change anything about
(27:48):
what I've done.
I love everything that I'vedone, man.
It's what I was meant to do.
But I think it's too hard.
I'm saying it's starting at 51to start over and to build that
up again.
I don't know that I could be inthe kitchen for 18 hours a day
and that's what I mean.
SPEAKER_00 (28:02):
That I get 100%.
SPEAKER_01 (28:04):
I would still want to create concepts.
I would still want to createrestaurants.
I'd still want to be global.
Like, not none of that wouldchange.
It's just more about, I don'tknow that I could hang, you
know.
I think you got to get outthere, get really clear about
what you want to do more thanever.
I we talked about this threetimes now.
This is the third time thisword's coming up, but I think
you got to be as authentic aspossible about what you're
doing.
You've got to have a point ofview with what you're doing and
(28:25):
your concept that is unlikeanybody else.
And you got to like believe init to no end.
Go, you're you're gonna go toMars with this thing.
You just have to believe in itso much.
And then you will find a way.
You will find a way.
If it's really important foryou, you will find a way and you
will do it.
SPEAKER_00 (28:42):
What I'm loving about this series is you are
about the third entrepreneurthat I've spoken to in this
series, where fitness bubbled upas a common theme and where
networking bubbled up as acommon theme.
You know, in in another episode,we talk about uh young
entrepreneurs that might want tostart their own bed and
breakfast or inn and howaccessing capital is an issue.
(29:04):
And, you know, the guest, DavidBowd, really talked through man,
you got to get out there andnetwork with people in the
finance business.
And oh, by the way, if you're ahotel beer, that might not be
the people you normally interactwith.
So this theme of network, findan advisor, talk to people,
that's such a common theme, Ithink, and I hope a theme that
our listeners are picking up on.
(29:24):
Networking.
Get out there, talk to people.
Don't do it alone.
Get advice.
I love that advice from you.
I really do.
SPEAKER_01 (29:31):
You've nailed it, Blake.
And I think you're good at that,actually.
I mean, you're you're so good atconnecting and talking to people
and finding if you don't knowsomething, you're gonna find
someone who does know it.
Part of that goes to thatcuriosity and being fearless,
just going for it, forget aboutyou know how you look or
worrying about mistakes on it.
You just you go after it.
And I I will always say this Imy grandmother said this to me,
(29:52):
and I really love that.
She goes, if you really want it,you'll do it.
If you don't, you won't.
But if you really, really wantit, you'll find a way.
Because none of it's easy.
No, man.
And that's why you have to makesure that it's worth it, you
know, and that you're doing whatyou love, and at least for me.
SPEAKER_00 (30:06):
Let's talk about our shared passion.
Travel.
Oh, yes.
When did you realize that travelwas your passion and everything
that it gave you?
SPEAKER_01 (30:16):
My first trip internationally, I moved to
France.
That was my first trip.
My first stamp in my passport, Iliterally moved to France.
And I went there to go work.
I was so excited to be in adifferent culture where I heard
a different language, to bearound, you know, I'm just
observing the people.
Oh my God.
And that was it.
I had the bug.
That was, it was, it was done.
(30:37):
Done.
Then I would say it reallyramped up and I had to really
evaluate what I wanted to do inAmerica and how I was going to
get to become global.
And that was after my first tripto Asia.
You're going to love this story.
You'll appreciate this.
So I just started my firstexecutive chef job in Los
Angeles at a hotel at the time.
(30:58):
It was a boutique hotel.
It was one of the best calledLermatage Hotel.
Of course.
And knew it well.
Super hot.
Raffles bought that hotel.
Raffles from Singapore, famedhotel.
Bought that hotel the second daythat I was there.
So their acquisition team flewover.
They met with the GM first andthen they met with me, which I
was like, why are you meetingwith me?
(31:19):
And they're like, Do you knowabout our brand?
60% of our revenue comes fromFB.
40% comes from rooms.
You're on a plane to Singaporetomorrow.
I'm like, Singapore?
Oh my God.
That sounds amazing.
And so they're like, we want youto create a new concept for us.
We're going to send you toCambodia, to Thailand, to Japan,
all of these places.
Come to Singapore and you're ona plane tomorrow.
(31:40):
I want a plane the next day.
I went and I fell in love withAsia and just, it's so
different.
It was so different thananything that I had ever
experienced.
And I'm like, I'm doing this.
I don't care what it takes.
I'm getting restaurants aroundthis.
And then it was just never, itwas never ending.
You know, I love the flights.
I love the different airportlounges.
I love the jet lag.
(32:01):
I love um, you know, hearing thedifferent languages.
SPEAKER_00 (32:03):
We do.
We're a glutton for punishment.
SPEAKER_01 (32:05):
Yeah, man.
I'm telling you, you know how itis.
I do.
SPEAKER_00 (32:09):
Interesting that Raffles identified you that
quickly.
SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
Well, I mean, I it wasn't about me.
I think it was just luck, but ittook off.
Interestingly, that restaurant,it was called Jean.
It was the precursor to my veryfirst restaurant, Sona.
Interestingly, Jean opened tobecome one of the top
restaurants in Singapore.
And I hoped to launch thatoriginally with the chef that
they had.
It wasn't my menu or anything,but I flew over and helped them.
But Jean in LA was J-A-A-N waslike the precursor to Sona.
(32:39):
And it enabled me to going toAsia and being on that trip
changed everything for me.
I found my own style.
I found the heartbeat to what Iwanted to do.
I knew this was the direction.
I came back and I launched, andthat's when I first started
getting noticed.
Food and wine, et cetera,launched my restaurant.
SPEAKER_00 (32:55):
So I say this all the time about my career.
I think I'm a talented guy.
I think I work hard.
I think I'm kind of smart, butI've never downplayed the role
luck had in my career.
Sometimes I was just at theright place at the right time.
And we can talk all day longabout if you make your own luck,
et cetera, et cetera.
But I've always been so gratefulthat, you know, at some points
(33:16):
in my career, it was just asymbiotic of talent and chutzpah
and a little bit of luck, maybe,you know.
Nothing wrong with that.
Take advantage of it when itpresents itself.
SPEAKER_01 (33:27):
100%.
I mean, you could have said itany better.
I'll take luck any day.
I also think, you know, maybethis is a little more spiritual
side because I'm in Bali andwe've got incense burning and
it's other gods.
But man, I truly believe thatthe moment you put it out there,
you know, you put it out there,whether it's in the universe in
your own mind, whatever it is.
I really believe this.
Goethe talked about this, thegreat Austrian philosopher.
(33:49):
The moment you put it out there,providence moves and everything
comes to help you.
And I really believe that.
And I think that's luck.
I think it's part of you'reputting that energy out there
and people are getting behindyou with it.
And man, that is what alsomotivates me.
That is also what drives me.
That gives me energy andexcitement.
SPEAKER_00 (34:06):
David, as we wrap up today, I'm I'm looking at your
bio and I'm looking at all therestaurants you've been
associated with and all the manyTV appearances you've done, top
chef, master chef US, HillsKitchen.
I'm looking at your list ofaccolades, Michelin, James
Beard.
What gives you the most joy?
I mean, you you're kicking on somany fronts right now.
(34:27):
You're doing TV, you're in newrestaurants, you're running
business.
What gives you the most joy?
SPEAKER_01 (34:33):
Wow, that's a really intense question that I actually
haven't given a lot of thoughtto.
There's a lot of things, but Iwould say creating something,
seeing it come to life, and thatmagic that happens sometimes,
not always, but sometimes whereeverything comes together just
right, where the guests areloving it, the team is dialed
(34:53):
in, you can see that sparkcranking, and you know you're
building to something bigger,not just in one place, but
you're looking to grow this andyou know it's got legs for that.
Knowing that all that work, allthat energy, all of that late
night, waking up in the middleof the night, wondering if it's
the right idea, wondering ifyou're on the right track is all
coming together.
(35:14):
That's where I say it brings mejoy, brings me happiness.
And the other part would be justworking with insane talent.
They make it come to life, youknow, the team and makes me a
better person.
And I really love that.
I'm not kidding you.
I really, really love to bearound talented, high-energy
driven people that have skillsthat I don't have.
(35:34):
And I'm always in awe.
I'm like, oh my God, how did youdo that?
So those are some things that Ithink I'll take with me to the
very end, and I'll be verygrateful for having those
moments.
SPEAKER_00 (35:44):
So you are a Michelin-starred chef, an
industry highlight.
I'm a first-time podcaster, butI am so inspired by you that it
was all the Hutzpah I couldmuster to reach out to you and
say, Would you do my littlepodcast?
And you were so gracious toimmediately say, Yes, Blake, I
will do it.
I want to sit down, let's have achat.
(36:05):
Which you didn't have to do, bythe way.
So thank you for your graciousacceptance.
It means a lot to me.
Here's what I admire the mostabout you.
You're not only a creativeforce, but you are so authentic.
You are who you are.
You walk the talk.
I follow you on Instagram.
I see you in the gym.
I see you traveling.
I see you meeting with yourteens.
(36:26):
And I'm like, this is a guy Iwant to learn more about.
And so thank you for sharingtoday.
I really appreciate it.
I have a final question for you.
It's a biggie.
Yes.
What do you hope your legacywill be?
SPEAKER_01 (36:39):
I've given that some thought too.
I would say that I hope I'veshown that never giving up,
trying to do the right thing,and being really, really focused
on bringing some magic to lifefor not just creation, but also
people, most importantly, andmaking an impact there.
(37:00):
That for me is what I'm hopingI've achieved and creating some
pretty cool stuff along the way.
SPEAKER_00 (37:06):
David Myers, Gypsy Chef, thank you for spending
time with me today on HotelDaddy.
I appreciate you.
SPEAKER_01 (37:12):
Blake, it's such an honor, man.
I'm so excited to be a part ofthis.
And thank you so much forreaching out and even
considering me to be on this.
It's so special, and I'mexcited, and I just know this is
going to be massive for you.
You were meant to do this.
So thank you so much for lettingme be on your show.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (37:29):
And I'm going to see you over Art Basel in Miami.
Talk to you later, my friend.
Gaway.
Thanks, Blake.
Thanks for listening to HotelDaddy with your host, Blake
Danner.
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