“What are you passionate about?”

“I think passion and moist are my two least favorite words in the English language. I hate the sound of the word of the moist, which it turns out lots of other people do too, but passion is such a powerful word that has been totally diluted and devalued because it’s used so carelessly. Passion is an all encompassing emotion that very few people will ever really experience. It is white hot, furious an inseparable from a person’s consciousness . Passion becomes everything you are. Michael Jordan was passionate about winning. He was insane and thus, the greatest basketball player to ever live. MLK was passionate about racial equality and lost his life because of it. Steve Jobs was passionate about innovation and changed the world with his passion. I think there are so few people who are truly passionate about what they do. People kill and die over passion.”

“That’s a very passionate response, what drives you and where does your inspiration come from?”

“I am working on my drive. Honestly, I’m naturally a person who loves leisure and have spent most of my adult life summoning myself to break through that and to create something meaningful and beautiful. I don’t think I’ve earned the right to express my passion, but I care deeply about food and legacy. Obviously food is an essential part of who I am as a person, but I also care about my legacy. I want to develop a talent that leaves something useful or inspiring behind that far outlives me. That’s why I love making stuff." 

"What are your goals for the next 5 years and how do you plan on accomplishing them?”

“I think goals are personal and sacred. My are always evolving, but live in my heart and head. ”

“What do you do to stay motivated and confident in yourself and your abilities?”

“I draw confidence from my work ethic. I know how to work hard and believe in the "harder you work, luckier you get”, adage. I know if I keep working, I’ll keep improving, and opportunities will come.“ 

"Do you have any advice for people wanting to put more energy into making their own dreams come true?”

“If you want to put more energy into something and you’re not doing it, it’s because you’re not ready, so you’ve got to address the barriers that are preventing you from putting your energy where you want it to go. For most people, that’s just defining what the thing is that they want to put their energy in to, and that is a very difficult, but essential process. It starts by honing in on the happy thoughts, the daydreams, the fondest memories you’ve got and figuring out the common link and how that can be translated into a skill and/or livelihood. People don’t focus enough on this step. Once you do that, your energy will naturally go to the place it should be without even thinking about it.”

————————————————
This is part of a weekly series called “Speaking Nopalese” about the culture of San Francisco landmark Nopasf. See other interviews and more great stuff at www.nopalize.com