Wisdom from 'Kitchen Confidential': Anthony Bourdain’s Rules Applied to Modern Work & Life

Over the holidays, I dove back into a book that my grandma gave me nearly 25 years ago: “Kitchen Confidential” by Chef Anthony Bourdain.

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It's raw, unfiltered, and packed with wisdom that transcends the culinary world. Bourdain closes the book with one section that strongly resonated with me- “Suggestions as to your conduct, attitude, and preparation for the path you intend to follow.”?

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While a few of these lessons might feel outdated today, the core of his advice is timeless: approach life with curiosity, grit, and integrity. As we kick off a new year, I’m reflecting on these lessons and how they can inspire me to live fully and strive to be my best self- both personally and professionally.?

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Indulge me as I share some highlights and thoughts on applying these principles in today’s world!

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1. Be fully committed. (“Be ready to lead, follow, or get out of the way”)

-Yes, Chef!

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2. Learn Spanish.

-Expand your horizons and bridge the gap with other cultures.

3. Don't steal. (“In fact, don't do anything that you couldn't take a polygraph test over”)

-When I entered the workforce after undergrad, my father told me “Your integrity is all you have. Once you lose or compromise your integrity, it’s borderline impossible to get it back.” I live my life according to this lesson, both inside and outside the workplace.

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4. Always be on time.

-Common sense, right?

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5. Never make excuses or blame others.

-We’re all human, and humans are fallible. Own a mistake, learn from it, and move on. In recruitment, we like seeing candidates who have made mistakes in the past and can now apply their learnings to a new employer’s more seamless approach to success.

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6. Never call in sick.

-Eh… In a post-pandemic world, think twice before coming into the office sick. Don’t be “that person” who gets everybody else sick and starts the several-week-long epidemic in which your team is never at full strength.

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7. Lazy, sloppy and slow are bad.

-No arguments here…

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8. Be prepared to witness every variety of human folly and injustice.

“These [questions and investigations into “why”] are best left unasked. The answers will drive you insane eventually.”

-Do I believe that ALL of you should call me first when you need help with hiring and staffing your teams/organizations? You’re damn right! But nobody wins all the time. In baseball, you’re a Hall of Famer if you can get on base 30% of the time.

So what am I going to do to achieve my goal of partnering with more hiring managers and adult beverage organizations? I’m going to continue working hard, geek out on the industry that has my heart (alcoholic beverage), share relevant content with you, remain humble, and hope my phone rings when the time is right.

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9. Assume the worst. (I like to begin that statement with “Hope for the best”)

-People have bad days and sometimes say things out loud that are better suited for their inner monologue. Bourdain says, “Don’t let this… affect your job performance. Let it all roll off your back. Ignore it. Be amused by what you see and suspect.” Some of you may know that my home, office, car, and wallet all have some representation of a duck in them- a picture, a toy, a figurine, etc. A constant reminder to “be a duck” (as my mom would say) and not let certain things affect me so much.

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10. Try not to lie.

“You made a mistake. Admit it and move on. Just don't do it again.”

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11. Avoid restaurants where the owner's name is over the door. Avoid restaurants that smell bad.

-The first part is pretty specific to the culinary field and the hospitality industry. The second part is simply solid advice.

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12. Think about that résumé!

Having worked in executive recruitment for so long, and drawing such a deep personal understanding, I really enjoyed this one: “How will it look to the [hiring manager] weeding through a stack of [resumes] if you've never worked in one place longer than six months? If the years '95 to '97 are unaccounted for? If you appeared as 'Bud' in a daytime soap opera, leave it off the résumé… Under 'Reasons for Leaving Last Job', never give the real reason, unless it's money or ambition.”

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13. Read!

Books, trade publications, newsletters, and more. “Some awareness of the history of your business is useful, too. It allows you to put your own circumstances in perspective… Read the old masters… and more recent generations of innovators and craftsmen.” By educating myself on trends, news, practices, and more- I'm able to be a more valuable resource to my clients and partners.

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14. Have a sense of humor about things.

Robin Williams famously said, “Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal trauma."

If we can’t laugh at ourselves, what the hell are we doing here?!