We recently connected with Ben Eisendrath and have shared our conversation below.
Ben , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I was not inclined to bold action, nor did I have innate confidence as a child. What I did have was a father that had both qualities, and a family environment that encouraged exploration, and rewarded the simple act of embarking on it.
A specific example of childhood exploration that built confidence was fishing. Dad introduced me to it (as many Dads do) young, at the family farm. The concrete skills it required, coupled to the quick feedback loop of failure to success, resonated with me immediately, When I’d mastered fishing from shore all I wanted to do was take Dad’s boat out fishing. Alone. I worked tirelessly to earn that right. I wanted to push my limits further, and prove to myself that I could do it all on my own. NOTHING demands more problem solving, improvisation and concentration than being on a boat solo, in pursuit of a quarry.
What fishing taught me, and even more so fishing from Dad’s boat, was that when I take a risk and leap, I have the ability to turn that dare into a success, again and again.
A shy kid learned from thousands of hours fishing that he can MAKE IT WORK, That translates to everything in life.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I make the world’s finest wood-fired grills. I say they’re the finest not because my team has a monopoly on live-fire creativity, but rather that we have the honor of making the industry’s most creative chefs and open-fire cooks’ dreams come true.
What makes our creations special also makes my job a joy. I get to work in the most primal field of all; one that’s at the core of every human’s soul, as it’s what got us here: fire. There’s an undeniable social aspect to that flame, and even planning and discussing those that will live in avante guard restaurant kitchens creates a bond between me an my customer.
Adding to the personal aspect to what I do is a connection with Dad, who started our family’s specific love of open fire cooking after his journalism (he was a TIME correspondent) career took him, and me, to Argentina, our personal mecca of grilling.
My company’s name is Grillworks, and our creations can be found on every continent (except, Antarctica, as far as I know) and practically every country on earth. Our customers are the bleeding edge of food, and include the likes of Dan Barber, Wolfgang Puck, Tom Colicchio, José Andrés and so many others I’m humbled at the list’s length.
We have a map of our grills around the world on the site – GrillworksUSA.com, and I talk about many of them on my social media, mainly @grillworksben on IG.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I feel that in most cases the ‘do something that scares you’ is mistaken for ‘do something you’re bad at’. Your energy is far better spent leaning into something you have an affinity for, and can be GREAT at, than on something you don’t and after a lot of work you might become GOOD at.
Contact Info:
- Website: GrillworksUSA.com
- Instagram: @GrillworksBen
- Facebook: Ben Eisendrath or the Grillworks page
- Linkedin: Ben Eisendrath
- Twitter: @GrillworksBen
Image Credits
Grillworks, Wall Street Journal
