On Wednesday, October 30th, InspireU, founded by sophomores Dylan Rich and Jiya Birdi, hosted Scott Conant, restauranteur and PCDS parent, as its first speaker of the year. Scott Conant has done everything related to food, restaurants, and the business surrounding them, from judging on Chopped to building popular restaurants like Scarpetta and Mora Italian.
Conant is Italian-American, and his mother is from a small town in Italy. He says that his family background was one of the first things that showed him food’s ability to foster connection. However, he wasn’t set on becoming a chef for his whole life. In fact, after high school, he wanted to attend a vocational school for plumbing but ended up getting his second choice, culinary arts.
When asked about the transition from being an employed chef to becoming his own boss, he said that if you don’t “utilize all the information right in front of you, you will not be as successful as those who do. I learned a lot by shutting my mouth and listening.” One way he did this was by reading, sometimes up to five books at a time.
As a proponent of self-education, Conant said, “You learn a lot in school, but I think the real key is how to be a professional, how to translate what you learn in school to real life.”
Along these lines, approaching people with an open mind is crucial in any field, but especially in the kitchen. “I’m in the business of creating relationships,” he says, so if you go into situations ready to listen to others, “you’re going to learn a lot about people.”
One student askedwhat nonnegotiable habits he has to productively work towards goals. Conant responded, “I’m a big believer in discipline. I feel like if you want to be great at something you need to be disciplined at it.” In practice, that looks like this: “I wake up every morning and I have four shots of espressos, and I do that again. Eight espressos every day gets me excited, it gets me motivated. I start reaching out to my team, and that’s how I start my day… lots of texts and emails.” His work is spread across the country, so constant contact with his restaurants and coworkers is essential.
Another student asked what he finds through this industry that nothing else offers. He thought of his answer instantaneously and said that in good restaurants, “there’s an energy and intensity that is extremely motivating.”
PCDS is very appreciative of Conant’s visit and inspirational story. InspireU hopes to hold more guest speakers like Conant and continue to inspire students across the upper school.
