590. Expert Interview: What Makes You Jump Out of Bed in the Morning?

Charles Carroll

Chef Charles Carroll is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker, and recipient of more than 80 national and international awards. He has served his country on eight U.S. Culinary Olympic Teams. For the past few years he has traveled around the United States and the world mentoring, sharing and presenting his messages to culinary students, chefs, industry professionals and executives as well as to U.S. military personnel. As founder and producer of Operation HOT 2011 and 2013, he produced seven Vegas style shows for troops in Afghanistan. Currently, he serves as the immediate past-president of World Association of Chef Societies. Chef Charles recently published his third book, a culinary parable entitled, “The Recipe: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Ingredients of Greatness,” which he co-authored with John David Mann.

What Makes You Jump Out of Bed in the Morning?

“We are all put on this earth to find that thing inside of us that makes us jump out of bed in the morning. It is sad when people never dare themselves to dig down and find it. Or, maybe they have found it but have tucked it away, thinking they just cannot do it, or that it is a big dream and they just do not have time to pursue it. For some, family and other obligations, or their job, get in the way. I can tell you hundreds of stories of people who say if they had not taken that initial jump, they would not be sitting where they are today. There is nothing better than waking up feeling you just can’t wait to get started doing that one thing you have discovered inside yourself.”

Why Is This Important?

“As soon as you’ve discovered that special thing inside that makes you want to jump out of bed, you have to do it. Start somewhere. Like a writer at the keyboard, facing a blank screen, start punching the keys. Open a new document, give it a working title and a date, and write whatever information you have, just to get started. The next thing you know, you’ve started! One step leads to the next. An email leads to a call. A call leads to a meeting, and that leads to another. Momentum builds. But first, you have to start!”

What Are the Key Lessons Learned Here?

Once you start the process, Chef Charles promises, you will find what you need. The ideas, connections, resources and introductions will come to you through the process. “What did I know about writing and publishing a book? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. For that matter, I knew nothing about podcasting when we started one a couple of months ago. I just knew I was being interviewed as a guest on a lot of them. My partner and I just started researching podcasts, and the next thing we knew, we had one. The point is to keep digging and digging and digging until it happens. When you’re pursuing your passion, persistence is the key. Nothing worthwhile comes easily.”