Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Justin Hartley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Justin, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I honestly got my work ethic from my parents. My dad specifically, he is an entrepreneur. Bult his business from the ground up, has his own hair salon and just watching that since a child it had pushed me to always work hard and stay on top of my job so that no one could tell you otherwise. He always tells me “Don’t nothing come to a sleeper but a dream.” Since a child I took that and ran with it.
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?
Professionally I am focused on my career as a chef. I have been in the culinary industry for 13 years and honestly it has taught me a lot. From being a creative to being a leader. It teaches me to give patience to others so that I can share my knowledge and experience. My brand that I cherish is my own called “Cooking with Hart” it started as a YouTube channel where I break down difficult dishes so that you too can create them. Since then, it is still that but also it has expanded into a private dinner service as well. Intimate dinners that can bring smiles to a guest face and a full. Something new that I have been working on with a close friend of mine is a food and film concept. Basically, a new form of a film festival where it’s the best for foodies as well as well as film makers. A great way for upcoming chefs as well as short film makers to get there name out. I’m excited to bring another creative outlet for people to express themselves and just to bring people together.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three things most impactful on my journey was Consistency, patience and hunger. You can’t expect to do one thing right one time and expect to master it can you? In the beginning of my culinary journey, it had taken me so much time to practice and to learn not just what i needed to do but how i needed to do it. Cooking is a very precise thing. From your knife cuts to your methods to even plating. Sort of like chess you need to know what moves your making at all times. By doing this consistently it will train your mind to do things in a better way to at some point it becomes muscle memory. i was always eager to know what’s next or how do i get there instead of actually enjoying where i was. This requires patience. By having patience, it will take you out of the eager state and allow you to enjoy where you are. By being here you will ask more questions and learn a lot more than you would if you rushed. This final one is something I can’t stress enough, when i say hunger i do not mean literally but I mean metaphorically. In all of us there is a small spark, and your job is to keep that spark wanting to grow more. By doing so this will put you in the mindset of continuously learning and asking questions which is what you always want to do in any kitchen.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful things my parents did for me was giving me opportunities that they themselves didn’t have at my age. From traveling overseas to living on my own at an early age to just being able to learn and grow on my own. Most of all they gave me knowledge that had inspired me to pursue my dreams and to complete my goals. The best thing any parent can do for their child is listen and that’s what my parents did. They allowed me to be heard and to be understood. This translated into my adult life very well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chefjhart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjhart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEobSqTTJZVGvpfNi1MSETw
Image Credits
Photos By Asher Labostrie www.imaginelotus.com
