Who Chefpreneur.me is aimed at

This work is ideally designed for people who are neither professional chefs nor business owners/entrepreneurs. For those who are stuck in ‘learn mode’, who have a blinding passion for entrepreneurship but just can’t seem to take the first step(s) needed to get the ball rolling; who have read a small library full of business books but for whatever reason have not taken the plunge.

I know this place well, I know this person well, because this was me before I developed an interest in learning how to cook (for both intellectual, dietary, and health reasons). I know the awful feeling of being stuck, paralyzed by the thought of failure, unable to make any real/tangible progress towards achieving my goals, whilst simultaneously fooling myself into thinking that by reading a lot I was using my time in an effective and efficient way when In truth I was staying well within my comfort zone – there is no risk of failing when all you do is read (whether it’s reading a recipe, reading cooking tips and tricks, reading business/management books, or reading the biographies of successful entrepreneurs to gain their secrets, the hidden wisdom which surely lies within the pages detailing their lives.)

This was my reality for a long time…..

Clarifying what I’m saying

I’m not saying that reading business books is unimportant, unnecessary, or useless. On the contrary, they are extremely useful; I’ve learned a lot, and believe that I am a better businessman because of the wise advice I’ve absorbed from books that I’ve read. But it can be an enticing trap, it can encourage passivity, especially if the knowledge is not immediately applied or you are not in a position to apply the advice or knowledge.

It’s when we put down the books and attempt to put the knowledge into practice that we must confront the possibility of failure. The truth is that you just might make a complete mess of it; you might fail miserably. If you do, this will shatter the illusion that you have built up over the hundreds if not thousands of hours spent reading. The illusion that you are a fantastic business person, a person that is both knowledgeable and capable. When in reality you are book smart, unconfident and incapable of implementation. You can talk the talk but are too scared to even attempt to walk the walk.

I am ultimately arguing that by learning to cook / going through the process of cooking, you have to deal with a lot of challenges which are similar to the ones that entrepreneurs face (although on a smaller scale), this is like learning to ride a bike with training wheels on (it builds your confidence and improves your competence). It gets you out of (book) learn mode, and gets you into a more active frame of mind (an active approach to learning). For example, you can read about the best ways to create an apple pie, you can learn about the latest methods, the best equipment currently available which promises to aid apple pie creation, you can read all about the latest technological breakthroughs in pie baking and know the opinions of the top experts in the field as to the future of the apple pie industry or you can search out hundreds of different recipes, meticulously weighing one up against another.

But this is not the same as actually being able to cook an excellent apple pie, every time. (If you think otherwise you are only fooling yourself.)

You Can Do It

Throughout this project (chefpreneurship) the advice and wisdom you will receive can be applied immediately. For example, you can go into the kitchen and cook right now, right this second. – If this were not the case I would be unable to avoid the embarrassing spectacle of bashing on reading business books for encouraging passivity whilst at the same time choosing to communicate with you through words that I’ve typed and which I intend for you to read.