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René Redzepi created the world's best restaurant

Five times over

10 lessons from René on achieving the extraordinary 👇
René was born into adversity

Growing up, his family was poor

He dealt with racism daily as a Macedonian living in Copenhagen - people called him a "Balkan Dog"

At age 11, he started a paper route a to help provide his family with money
At 15 he's expelled from school and begins a journey that would shape him into the world's best chef

At 25, René opens @nomacph and changes the world's idea of what food can be
1. Work With What You've Got

René limited Noma to using only ingredients from Nordic countries

They started foraging and harvesting their own produce

Constrained to the bounty around them, they turned things like Sea Buckthorn and Lingonberries into incredible components
Constraints breed creativity, but only if you apply the right mindset

Find beauty in your surroundings

Opportunity is found everywhere

If you look hard enough for it
2. Consistency Shapes Greatness

One of his chef's says that he hasn't perfected a dish just yet

René asks him: "Have you done it everyday for a month? No? If you had, it would have worked."
We sit around waiting for motivation

Or that big idea that we just know will change our lives

But, success comes from consistent, hard work, each and every day
3. Reward Loyalty

This is Ali Sonko

He started at Noma as a dishwasher in 2003

Today he's a co-owner of the world's best restaurant
.@naval says "Play long-term games with long-term people."

Investments in your relationships compound just like investments in the market

Don't become blind to the wealth of your relationships
4. Give Direct & Honest Feedback

Operating the world's best restaurant is a team effort

But it's led by one man

René always provides clear feedback to his team

He pushes them - Challenges what they believe they're capable of
This has been one of my own biggest learnings from René

I never hold back feedback from our team

And I ask them to never hold back from me

We practice this every Wednesday during "Weekly Crit" and it's open to everyone in the company
5. Create in the Open

For years Noma hosted Saturday Night Projects

Their chefs submit a dish they've been working on

René and the other chefs critique and give feedback

In front of an audience of thousands via live streaming
How long have you worked in secret because "it's not ready yet"?

Show the world what you're working on, build in the open

You'll create a valuable feedback loop and identify early adopters that want to follow your journey
6. Ignore the Critics

Critics said that working with only Nordic ingredients would never work

They called René the "Seal Fucker"

He ignored the critics and stayed true to his vision
You'll always be faced with detractors - ignore them

If you dedicate yourself to achieving something remarkable you must commit yourself to seeing it through

How often have you been told you couldn't do something and gave up?

What if you had persevered?
7. Never Lower Your Standards

René knows that allowing just one dish on the menu that doesn't meet the Noma standard could ruin everything

Suddenly you will have changed and lowered your expectation of quality

Maybe you're not chasing perfection like René - that doesn't matter
Setting and maintaining high standards separates you from almost everyone

It requires tremendous amounts of work

But it speaks volumes to your commitment and over time, people will take notice
8. Stay Curious, Keep Learning

Rene travels the world in search of new ideas and ingredients

Forages through forests, eating leaves, tasting ants on the ground

He seeks out new knowledge and flavors in every way that he can
Now, I'm not telling you to go eat ants

But, if you have access to a new culture or city - ask questions and listen deeply

Soak in your surroundings

Look for knowledge and wisdom - it's all around you
9. Challenge Yourself When Things Feel Stale

Noma had been the world's best restaurant 4 times

Then René decided to shut it down

Start over, from scratch - he bought and renovated an old bunker to be the new Noma

After reopening, it took only 2 years before Noma was #1 again
René was on top of the world - and he was bored

Complacency kills

René knew this and decided to risk it all

To bet on himself and team

But most importantly to keep challenging himself to create greatness
10. It Takes Extreme Amounts of Hard Work

René published his journal "A Work in Progress" after winning World's Best Restaurant for the first time

He asks himself what the secret was to his success

His answer?

Tremendous amounts of hard work
I'm not preaching hustle culture - whatever that even is

Like René, I know that consistent, hard work is how you'll win

To live an extraordinary life, or achieve something great - you have to put in the work

"Luck is preparation multiplied by opportunity." - Seneca
I hope you've found this thread helpful.

Follow me @_hunterhammonds for more.

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