Humility and respect, the first lesson

One of my earliest lessons in hospitality came from a Swiss master chef. He held the Maîtrise Fédérale - one of the highest culinary honors in Switzerland. I admired him deeply. After passing my cuisine course in Lausanne, I arrived at a suburban restaurant full of confidence to do my practical. Perhaps too much confidence. I walked into the kitchen and proudly declared, “The cook from hotel school has arrived. Where is my station?” He looked at me calmly. “So… you are the cook?” “Yes, Chef.” “Good. Please go to the vegetable room and peel onions. For two weeks. Then we’ll see.” That was the moment I understood something important. Titles mean nothing in operations. Experience does. For two weeks I peeled onions. In those two weeks and the following five months I learned humility, discipline, and respect. And that lesson shaped my entire 50-year career.