#100: Loss, Love, and the Ingredients of Greatness with Chef Charles Carroll - a podcast by Jon Vroman

''Hire great people and make sure they have everything they need to be successful.'' - Charles Carroll

What’s one of your all-time favorite dishes? I bet you can think of at least a few! For most of us, food plays a big role in our lives. Not only does it fuel us, but it can enrich our lives, bring us closer together and give us memories to cherish for years to come.

But what can food teach us about living a successful life?   

Today, I get the chance to speak with eight-time Culinary Olympian Chef, Charles Carroll, who serves up an inspiring recipe for personal greatness and shares some of the incredible life lessons that food can teach us!

Charles Carroll is the Executive Chef at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas, which is among the top country clubs in the United States. He has received over seventy national and international awards, including three Presidential Medallions from the American Culinary Federation. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Carroll was the manager of the 2004 United States Regional Culinary Olympic Team, which won three gold medals and was ranked third internationally.

During our discussion, we dive into his most recent book—The Recipe: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Ingredients of Greatness—a parable about a boy who overcomes tragedy and carves out a life of excellence by learning lessons from the kitchen.

Here’s a Quick Breakdown of Our Chat…

• [07:55] Learn to achieve the seemingly impossible!—Charles shares his process for getting things done and his simple secret to success.
• [14:23] How does being a dad help Chef Charles in the kitchen and how does being in the kitchen help him as a dad?
• [17:39] Discover the values his parents instilled in him that attributed to his success as a chef!
• [20:30] Learn how you can build a world-class team!—Take it from someone who has 3 restaurants, 6 kitchens, and 75 cooks who love what they do.  
• [26:16] How can serving others lead to opportunities that you never even thought were possible?
• [30:00] Chef Charles reveals his most enjoyable dishes from around the world.

''Worry about the small things, because the big things will take care of themselves.'' – Charles Carroll

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Links and Resources

• ChefCharlesCarroll.com
• The Recipe: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Ingredients of Greatness
• Tasting Success: Your Guide to Becoming a Professional Chef
• World Association of Chefs Societies
• John David Mann
• The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
• Front Row Dads

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