You want to stand out and be unique and do something different. I always try to zig when they zag - I guess it's a football term, but it applies to a lot of different areas of life.
I like to go against the grain, against what's out there. Every day is like a challenge.
I was able to be influential and create a mold. There was no one else who was shaped like me or looked like me.
You can't be a change-maker by reading a book.
By the time you do what somebody else is doing, everybody has moved on to something else.
I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.
The worst advice I ever received from my dad was to play by the book.
We've never tried to fit any mould because we already broke the one we started.
The worst advice I ever received from my dad was to play by the book. My old man used to flip out whenever I would try to branch out and do something different. Although he didn't do it on purpose, he really held me back in the beginning.
Be different. Be original. Nobody will remember a specific flower in a garden filled with thousands of the same yellow flower, BUT they will remember the one that managed to change its color to purple.
One of my pet peeves about Nashville is that it tends to be copycatted. I don't want to do that. I've got to be different.
You have to make bold choices to be noticed.
Be a creator, not just sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone to call you into the game or call our number.
I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.
If you follow the trend, you'll always be right behind it.
There was a lot of great writing couples, but I try to do it all myself. And it was practically impossible, but I still managed to be ahead of my time.
The best opportunities are often ones where you're being contrarian. That doesn't mean being contrarian for contrarian's sake, but it means you're thoughtful about the risks of following the crowd.
It is not difficult now to make good food because we have sophisticated equipment and refined ingredients. Being innovative also helps you. It sets you apart from other chefs. But taste is king.
