Episode Details

“It starts with finding the best and then figuring out how to do it consistently.” - Dale Talde

Dale Talde, co-founder and executive chef of Food Crush Hospitality, stops by to share his Five Rules for Staying in the Game. We talk about knowing what you do best, hiring talented people without giving away your equity, and why your next great opportunity may already be sitting in your inbox. Dale explains why the best product has to come before the business model, and how accepting eighty-five percent can make room for a family, a community, and the next project. It is a conversation about failure, longevity, and continuing to stand back up, with a little walk through our shared years in Brooklyn along the way.

Dale is one of the people from the food world I have known the longest, and over the years we have been through a good amount together. We have watched restaurants open and close, projects come together and fall apart, and both of us keep finding the next reason to get back in the game. There is a particular kind of friendship that comes from knowing someone across that much time, through the wins as well as the moments nobody posts about. Staying in the game for a long time is something we both take pride in, and I am grateful that after all these years, we are still here, still creating, and still cheering each other on.

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Five Rules for the Good Life. I’m your host, Darin Bresnitz. I’m always excited when I get to sit down with today’s guest, Dale Talde, who is the co-founder and executive chef of Food Crush Hospitality.

He’s here to share his five rules for staying in the game. He talks about the importance of delegating and not giving up equity, how your next project can already be sitting in your inbox, and how 85% is the key number to long-term success. It’s a great conversation and a little bit of a walk down memory lane as we talk about our time in Brooklyn and how Dale has stayed in the game for so long.

Please take a moment to subscribe and rate this podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen. So let’s get into the rules here on HRN. Dale, my brother, so good to see you.

Dale’s Salad Days

You’re looking stylish as ever. Thanks for making the time to stop by the show. Of course, brother.

You know, we go so far back. Anything for you. I owe so much to our friendship, always a legacy.

Speaking about going far back, you’ve been cooking for decades now. What do you remember from your salad days on the line that still rings true today? Coming to work stoned is a terrible idea, especially when you’re not very good. Absolutely.

When you are starting off in this game, especially if you’re not the best cook and you’re still learning, come with a clear mind. Don’t party the night before. Take all that stuff very seriously.

In our industry, we work hard and want to live hard too and party hard. But when I was a really young kid, I was really immature and I was just showing up to work. All the young culinarians out there come clear minded and even business owners.

They see a lot of guys are just like, I’m going to live my life. And if I’m going to smoke a joint at noon and show up to work at two, how good of a boss are you going to be?

Taking Risks

Taking those risks, not taking it as seriously as you could in the early parts and even the middle parts of your career, did you ever feel like you were in jeopardy of getting bounced out of cooking professionally? A hundred percent. I worried about my job every single day that I showed up for work.

There is an edge to a lot of great business owners a