#125 Behind the Grind: Ft. A 32-Year-Old Restaurateur Going ALL-IN

Welcoming you back to our 2nd-ever Behind the Grind interview!

I’m really happy with the way these first two interviews complement each other: two people at totally different points in their lives, working in totally different fields…and yet they’re both able to drop knowledge that benefits such a wide range of readers.

Hope you enjoy! 🤝 

• Behind The Grind: 32-Year-Old Restaurant Owner 💰️ 📈 🚀

• Cool Communicator: Examining BHG’s Networking and Selling Tips 💰️ 📈 
   

• Food For Thought About Dreams vs. Fears 📈 

BEHIND THE GRIND 💯 

NYC Restaurateur, Eric Madonna, Bets on Himself and Goes ALL IN!

INTRO 🤝

What are your current hustles?

Owner/General Manager at Bar Madonna - Brand partnerships, programming (bar pop-ups), 1.5 years as business owner.

What’s your “WHY" for what you do? 

I love the food and beverage space. The art of hospitality. Creating a space where people come every night to have a specific experience with us.

LET’S FATTEN THAT WALLET 💰️ 

How do you define a "rich” life? 

A balanced life. Working hard and enjoying. Thinking big picture and executing on a vision consistently.

Share one thing about money that would benefit our readers:

Cash flow will always be the most important. Having good book-keepers who know how to manage payables is super important.

What is one money move you regret? What's the lesson that came with it?

Paying off debt too quickly. Keeping an eye on cash to make sure paying your employees is never an issue.

What's the best advice you've been given about money, and how do you apply it? 

Raise more money than you think you need. You can always pay back investors sooner if you don’t need it.

When did you first feel rich - not in money, but in freedom, confidence, or control?

Still don’t feel rich in freedom but confidence takes time to build. More miles = more confidence. Building the right team around you can help build confidence and lead to freedom.

LET’S ELEVATE THAT BRAND 📈 

What's your secret weapon when it comes to networking IRL or online?

Being curious. And don’t ask for anything.

What’s a communication skill that changed the game for you and why?

Active listening and asking the right follow-up questions.

What's the best advice you've been given about personal branding, and how have you applied it?

If you don’t sell yourself, no one will. You can still be humble and advocate for yourself at the same time.

Why are relationships important when it comes to money, business, life etc. and what's your number one piece of advice for fostering long-term relationships?  

Relationships are everything. The coolest part about relationship-building is making the world smaller. Who wouldn’t want a friend in every city to show them the best places to go?

What's one tip you love when it comes to negotiation?

Always be willing to walk away.

LET’S BOOST THAT PRODUCTIVITY🚀 

How do you stay productive when times get challenging?

Being organized.

What is one lifestyle habit that boosts your productivity to get sh!t done?

Being physically active.

What does work-life balance mean to you? Why is it important?

I’m still figuring that out. My business is so new that my balance changes on a day-to-day basis. But it’s important to find YOUR balance, that way you can show up for yourself, your team, your family, etc.

How important is rest to you? When you're well-rested, what's different about you? Mentally, emotionally, creatively? 

Rest is very important for creativity. You need space to just think and let thoughts flow in and out of your head.

RAPID FIRE FUN 🔥 

• One thing you used to waste money on that you don’t anymore: Food

• A splurge you’ll never regret: Going to a great cocktail bar with friends

• Bucket list place to travel: Hong Kong

• Something you wish you knew about that you plan to learn in the future? TAXES!!

• If you could text your younger self one quick message, what would it say? Be patient big picture and impatient small picture.

• Any last gem you want to drop that would benefit our readers? It’s always worth it to bet on yourself. Just make sure it’s a good bet.

COOL COMMUNICATOR 🗣

Piggybacking The Interview With Prof Mike

Before I turn it over to the professor, I just wanna thank Eric for taking the time to answer so many questions. As someone looking to own a business one day, it was eye-opening to learn from someone who’s already in the game at such an early stage in their life. That said: whether you have a boss or are your own, I think there were plenty of gems there for everyone!

Prof Mike, which did you wanna discuss further?

There are two actually, both from the Let’s Elevate That Brand portion of the interview:

• “Don’t ask for anything.” 

This was said in response to a question regarding networking, and I found it very interesting. On one hand, there have been past editions of OTF that featured content where the main takeaway was: If you don’t ask, you won’t receive.

On the other, if I’m interpreting the answer above correctly, I understand where Eric’s coming from. When meeting someone for the first time, you don’t usually want to be too pushy or forward. Coming right out and asking them to do something for you can be a major turnoff, burning the bridge before it’s built.

This brings us to something else OTF has preached in the past: before asking them for value, see what value you can bring to them. From a persuasion standpoint, this has a much better chance of working than bluntly asking for the thing you want.

• “If you don’t sell yourself, no one will. You can be humble and advocate for yourself at the same time.”

I actually think these are similar, in that they’re both about finding a balance. Toeing a line. You can eventually ask a contact for something without being pushy or needy, and you can sell yourself without coming off egotistical or self-centered. Here are some tips for toeing that line between confidence and arrogance:

** Use “we” instead of “I” — sharing credit allows you to essentially praise yourself while also conveying gratitude for and recognition of others’ contributions and achievements. This always comes off better than “I’m great” self-promotion.

** Support your claims with measurables — Whether it’s record of past performance or painstakingly-researched planning that predicts future success, it’s always good to back up persuasive speech with evidence. Confidence, in part, comes from preparation, so having this sort of info can both drive your points home and project confidence, two things you always want to accomplish.

** Avoid hyperbole — keep outrageous claims to a minimum. And by minimum, I mean zero. I’ve seen this a lot with writers trying to get published.

For example: instead of absurdity like “This is a surefire best-seller” or “My writing compares favorably to Faulkner,” talk about what’s popular in the market, what themes your writing about (and, if you want, humbly connect them to other successful books that have dealt with same themes), and what your publishing history looks like.

** Share learned lessons — This is a great way to humble brag. Instead of “I am” followed by a list of traits, shift to “I’ve learned” followed by lessons or skills that have made you a person worth investing in. Presenting yourself as a learner shows a willingness to learn and a desire to grow, both of which convey humility.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 💭 

Before You Go

Hope you enjoyed Eric’s interview as much as I did. Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.

Next week, we’ll be back with a June BONUS EDITION, since it’ll be the 5th edition of the month. What’s in store?

Stay tuned!

Community Poll 📊 

As always, see you next Tuesday 🤝 

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