Sushi Obsession
Behind the scenes of a million dollar business
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Many of you know that Sushi is one of my few weaknesses. In fact, early on, I motivated myself to build passive income streams by thinking: “Hey, maybe this can cover my Sushi expenses this week”, and that snowballed into much more. But if you want to know the level of dedication and passion that someone can put into Sushi, you need to hear the story of Jiro Ono.
Jiro Ono is the 97-year-old owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a small Sushi restaurant in Japan. The restaurant has just ten counter-seats and looks quite minimal. But it was the first Sushi restaurant to receive three Michelin stars, and it’s booked out months in advance. The quality in this restaurant is top-notch. Apprentices who have trained here have gone on to open world-class Sushi restaurants in New York and elsewhere. Even President Obama dined at Jiro’s restaurant with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014 and said it was the “best Sushi he had ever eaten in his life.”
What’s the secret to Jiro’s success? It’s no accident. In the film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” it was revealed that Jiro started working when he was less than 10 years old, and worked without taking weekends off for decades – close to 90 years of dedication to his craft! This isn’t an empty obsession. Sushi is one of the most difficult arts to master and needs years of practice to perfect (people apprentice for ten years or more before they “graduate” sometimes, and cooking the rice itself takes years of practice). But if you get it right and build a reputation, it’s a million-dollar business.
This week, I wanted to learn more. I got an inside look into the process and business details of one of the most talented Sushi chefs in America. Chef Roman Allen Sarmiento took us through his operations as executive chef of Pepper Club and talked about the economics of the Sushi business. He recounted how he trained like a “Samurai” for years to get good at something he really loves to do, and I got first-hand experience with making and serving Sushi at a private event to understand the business end-to-end! I loved making this video because it combines two of my passions – business and sushi. Be sure to check it out:
What undercover million-dollar business would you like me to dive into next? Let me know in the comments.
What does “rich” mean?
A recent survey found that it takes $2.2 Million in net worth to be considered “rich.” But that isn’t something that should make you anxious – rather, it’s the definition of rich itself we need to question. These surveys usually take a one-size-fits-all approach to figure out what the magic number is, but being wealthy depends a lot more on your location, your cost of living, your priorities, and your network. Here’s how you can assess your wealth situation and build wealth in a healthy way:
Nostalgia hit
The Iced Coffee Hour podcast has helped me meet some amazing people, but this week was really special. I got to meet EG Daily, the voice behind iconic characters from Rugrats, Powerpuff Girls, Curious George, and Two and a Half Men. I grew up watching Rugrats on Nickelodeon all the time, so she was literally the voice of my childhood! But apart from being such a popular voice, she also has a fascinating story of grit and talent, going from broke to being paid $30,000 per hour. Check this out to find out how your favorite cartoons are made, and the dark side of an industry that’s all fun and games from the outside:
The Graham Stephan Show
There’s been a lot of emphasis on how the minimum wage is hard to make a decent living on and how it’s due for a rethink – I watched an ENDEVR documentary to get a look at the actual people being affected by the crisis, and give my two cents on the issue. It was a tough watch…
On the other hand, there’s another video that is “triggering” many people: On how the AirBNBust is teaching rich people a hard lesson in capitalism. Though I’m not invested in AirBNBs and I’m more of a long-term thinker when it comes to real estate, here’s what you should know about the “rich millennials” affected by this crisis:
And finally, it looks like my reactions to the most outraged reactions from Dave Ramsey are something you really find interesting – So here’s my reaction to one piece of advice that caused Dave to have a meltdown, and why you should be cautious about financial information that’s circulating on social media.
So that’s it for my weekly round-up. See you next week with another bunch of exciting videos!
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Shouldn't the opening statement be,
what's up guys, it's Graham here?