Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thom Hunt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Thom, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
This has been a lifelong project for me. I suppose it is rooted in necessity, as my family moved from Illinois to Connecticut to Michigan while I grew up – each time in the middle of the school year which sort of forced me to develop a sense of humor as a defense mechanism when in new social groups. I pride myself in my affability and open-mindedness which allows me to mesh well with new teams, small or large. I also used these circumstances later in life, as my now-wife and I lived in China and traveled Southeast Asia for a little over a year in 2014. I have also spent time living in Italy and traveling anywhere I can. We make friends wherever we go and I believe it all stems from listening to and being vulnerable enough to share with others.
The listening and willingness to share with others both go hand-in-hand with another hobby I picked up when we returned from China: Improv Comedy. The main idea behind that being Yes And. An unrelenting willingness to agree to and build upon what your teammates bring to the stage, and then finding the funny together. A decade of studying in Chicago, performing in the Midwest and Beyond (Baltimore one time!) helped sharpen those skills which lend themselves back into most social situations.
I feel at my most confident when providing warmth and genuine attention to others – which plays really well into my business in which I provide private dinners in the homes of my clients. Every menu I create is customized to the needs of my clients while still having room for surprises during the event. The process for each event can take days, weeks, or months of preparation and sometimes the hours of work are truly enjoyed for only a few moments. But it is always worth it! To put my training and skills to use to provide unique and delicious experiences for people brings me immense joy. I never feel more capable than when I hear the murmurs (and sometimes shouts!) of surprise and delight at the dining table from the kitchen.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I consider myself a culinary mercenary. The main focus of my services lies in providing customized tasting menu experiences for my clients from the comfort of their homes, Outside of that, I am always looking for opportunities to collaborate and support other local chefs, creators, and organizations for many types of events. If we continue to uplift each other and keep things local and seasonal, almost anything is possible. What keeps this field of work exciting is the constant changing of locations, seasons, ingredients, menus, and people with whom I am fortunate enough to work. It is very likely that I am prohibitively picky about which projects I take on, but I have found that as I persist and keep working, each event is cooler than the last. I am also trying to manifest working on a cooking show with Guy Fieri or Matty Matheson, so we’ll see how that goes. So far my closet shrines are NOT working!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Beyond highly technical culinary training and experience, my big three would have to be professional grace, communication, and passion. The professional grace involves a lot of patience and compassion for ourselves and those around us. It is SO much easier to just Be Cool and roll with punches and operate from a place of assumed forgiveness, especially in a high energy environment like a kitchen during dinner service. The communication involves not being afraid to express your own boundaries and needs while simultaneously taking in that same information from your teammates and clients. The passion speaks for itself – one cannot create or share to the best of their abilities when they are living in the burnout zone.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again a million times, but “Get comfortable being uncomfortable” is huge to me. It’s the only way to grow!
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
“No Man Is an Island”
While I do believe that razor sharp specialized skills are an essential element to success in my field, I believe it is its own skill to be able to lean on others for help and admit that I cannot be everywhere and do anything. Well-roundedness is important thing to keep in mind, but first, one must be willing to let go of some ego and some control while utilizing and navigating the strengths and weaknesses of any given team – both individually and collectively. Whether it be learning to delegate and how to communicate your expectations to a team effectively, or simply admitting to yourself that we can all lean on each other to accomplish our goals. I struggle with this control issue, as my recipes and plates are often executed with a very specific vision in mind. To trust others to help realize that vision is tantamount to knife skills or mise en place during prep. Sometimes the end result is more efficient and even more beautiful than the original intention!
For me, I DO NOT LIKE MATH! It was easy to rely on a professional to help with accounting , bookkeeping, and tax season. A tougher instance for me happened last year. I was stressing while adding finishing touches to a plate before it went to the table with a saucing spoon and holding it with a caveman grip, shaky and unsure. Another chef leaned over and said, “Hey, it’s easier to control if you hold it like a pencil.” This little nugget of wisdom has lived in my brain ever since and is my go-to example of simply listening to others who have different experiences from you. It was a small moment with a great impact on my perspective of team dynamics.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uppercrustchef.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uppercrustchef/
Image Credits
Thom Hunt
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