Lessons in Success: George Calombaris

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* This is an updated and
edited version of an article originally published in InSight 102 on 7
October, 2009

MasterChef has
returned to our screens for a fifth season and is not having quite the
same ratings success as the glory years of 2009 and 2010. My interest
certainly waned as soon as Channel 10 started promoting the sexist and
very dated ‘boys versus girls’ concept (I mean why not ‘long hair/short
hair or those born in Australia/those not or republicans/monarchists?).

Of course the real stars remain the three judges –

Matt Preston,

Gary Mehigan and
George Calombaris. The
show’s producers did a very astute job back in 2009 when they selected
(cast?) what could have been a controversial (all-male, all-Melbourne, 2
ex-pat Poms) panel of judges.

Most of the

MasterChef media
spotlight has fallen onto George Calombaris, with ‘unlikely sex symbol’
being quoted in more than one article. The Age Melbourne Magazine
featured George as their October 2009 cover story. It is an excellent
article and provides an illuminating glimpse into how George has come so
far in a relatively short period of time.

This is what I took from the story of George’s life
so far:

It doesn’t matter where you grow up
– George grew up in the decidedly unfashionable outer-Melbourne area
of Berwick/Narre Warren.
Poor school results aren’t the end of the
world – George scored 17 out of 99.95
for his VCE.
Be prepared to start at the bottom and do the
hard yards – George’s first job at age
16, was washing pots in a restaurant.
Don’t be afraid of failure
– George was chef de cuisine at fine dining restaurant, Reserve,
when it closed after failing financially in 2005. George’s marriage
dissolved in 2007 after lasting only three years.
Find like-minded people as business partners
– Behind the scenes (and putting up much of the money) in George’s
restaurants (Hellenic
Republic,

Press Club,

Maha Bar and Grill)
are savvy businessmen, Joe Calleja and George Sykiotis.
Make your passion your life
– To quote George’s partner, Tricario “I can sit
by the pool and read a book; he’ll sit by the pool and write a new
menu. After MasterChef, I told him he needed to have a break but
it’s what he loves to do and that’s what makes him so successful.”
Create foolproof systems to deliver consistent
quality – George states that the

Hellenic Republic is
about high-volume consistency through codifying every dish on the
menu. “You could put a plumber in Hellenic, put a chef’s jacket on
him and show him the book. ‘Go ahead you make it’. It’s all
structures.”
Keep life in perspective –
George’s father had two bouts of bowel cancer 10 years apart, which
had George say “I reflect on walking into the Alfred Hospital with
him to get his chemotherapy and I think, why would I whinge about
scales on the salmon or a staff member calling in sick? It drives me
always to think positive.”
Spend more time working ON a business, rather
than IN it – George employs 130 people
and doesn’t regularly cook in any of his restaurants. He spends his
time in his restaurants eating and observing the interactions
between his staff and the customers and continually looking for ways
to improve his customers’ dining experience.
Be full of energy for life
– Quoting his dad “He hates the word tired. He doesn’t
believe in it. He says you’re here to live, you’re going to be a
long time dead, so just do it.”
Be yourself –
There’s no Ramsay-esque temper tantrums, airs and graces or anything
about George that yells ‘try-hard’. He’s comfortable being himself
and the enthusiasm he has for dining, great culinary skills and the
hospitality industry comes across as authentic and compelling.

The world of cooking and restaurants is a great
breeding ground for success because it doesn’t matter where you were
born, what school you went to, how good your marks were, who your
parents know or what you look like – what counts is great food and
excellent service delivered with passion, consistently.

On that count I would argue George Calombaris is a
better success role model than many of our over-hyped and over-paid CEOs
or our many ethically, competency and morally-challenged politicians.

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