What Drives You?
See what drives the dot429 Trailblazer of the Week
Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch is a six- time Emmy Award winner who has been the head writer for the Oscars since 2000, and a featured writer for the Tonys, Grammys, and Emmys.
Greg Ruggeri
Greg is a critically acclaimed hair stylist with salons in Sydney and New York, and was awarded "Best of New York" by New York Magazine.
Pichet Ong
Pichet has been named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America, won numerous "Best of" awards, and has been nominated for several James Beard Awards.
What do you do - and why?
ahhh...the tough question and right out the gate...So i guess you can best describe me as a serial entrepreneur: In the last 4yrs i have become a restauranteur, hotelier, mortgage broker and as of recent i have just added to the list proprietor of a gourmet food market/deli/ modern day general store. And to be clear...i currently do them all.
Which quality or talent makes you most successful?
I am fearless and live by the philosophy that I can't fail- this really has driven my success in all my careers. I also committed to only do what i love...i think working a job that doesn't feed you is wasting energy. Btw- I'm mostly fearless, i am sorta afraid of heights i guess and i used to be afraid of strange meats but since i have now opened two restaurants i pretty much eat anything, or try it anyway. My passion for life and loving what i do is what i think adds to my success.
Who are the three people who most inspire you - and why?
My mom- because she works so hard and never says she cant do it, she is kind and generous. Liz Lambert- because she is a brilliant hotelier with fierce style. And my friends, because they are my cheerleaders and they continue to support me in all my crazy endeavors.
What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about good, simple, honest food; travel, family, friends, and living life to the fullest. I feel its important to love what you do and to do it well. I love to make people happy by being generous and giving and seeing how that changes the world in the simplest way. I want to put out to the world what i want back.
What drives you to succeed?
What really drives me is, inspiring others. I have heard numerous times this past week "how do you do it, you have 4 jobs and yet you are still generous with your time and make time for friends- you inspire me". Honestly... i love it. I love being busy and seeing how far i can push myself. It takes big balls to do what i did or just pure faith, whatever the case.. i am so happy i did it because it has made me so happy and also created opportunity for others. I love that! Don't get me wrong, i get tired sometimes,rarely but it happens, but I love to inspire people to chase their dreams and make it happen. I never wanted to look back and say" i wished i had done..." SO i just did! If you really want to do something you need to do it. Chase it, make it happen, and inspire others to do the same. Life is really short and i am making the most of it. That's what drives me.
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