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Hey team,
LaToya here! Welcome back to The Strategy Files, the newsletter where I study the most successful people in beauty, art, fashion, and entertainment. You apply it to your startup, agency, or side hustle.
It’s a team effort!
Please share this with people who will use these lessons to make the world a little better. It helps me tremendously.
In part one, we learned a lesson about doing the grunt work - the tasks most people would consider boring, repetitive, time-consuming, or meaningless.
Today’s lesson is one that I needed to hear this week…
Today’s Lesson: Study the Products in Your Industry
1960’s, Tokyo.
After three years of washing dishes and making deliveries at Matsuei-sushi, Nobu was promoted to the role of Oimawashi. He was finally allowed to assist sushi chefs in smaller tasks like making norimaki rolls and inarizushi. Nobu was delighted to take advantage of this opportunity; it helped him get closer to his goal.
Nobu wanted to become a sushi chef. But what was the next step? Remember, Nobu had a low salary, was living where he worked, and only had two days off a month. Still, he was determined to use the few resources he had to his advantage. So Nobu made a plan. His next step was traveling to restaurants outside of Tokyo to study the food.
An essential part of his learning happened in Kyoto. Kyoto in the 60’s was known for its Kappo counters - counters where chefs prepared seasonal dishes from high quality ingredients in front of their customers. There was a big difference between the fish used in Kappo counters and the fish used in sushi. In Kyoto, Nobu was exposed to fish like pike conger and scorpion fish. The dishes served were also different. Nobu tried things he’s never eaten, like tilefish steamed with sake, and ginger rice. These trips taught Nobu about the flavors of Japanese stock. How to work with ingredients like tofu, and bean curd. How to source and cook with seasonal vegetables.
Did these study sessions present challenges? Absolutely! Kyoto is far from Tokyo. The restaurants were exclusive, hard to get into, and expensive. But Nobu, like so many of the other successful people we study, has never let a small challenge get in the way of what he wants. Especially when given the opportunity to learn; His drive to learn does not stop.
How do you plan on applying this lesson to your business? Or your hobby? Or the thing you’re working on to make the world a better place?
Reply and let me know !
Best,
LaToya