Michael Chernow on Exploiting Talent, Creating Brands, and Building Relationships

Published: Dec. 7, 2020, 8 a.m.

A war has been waging throughout the philosophical and psychological community for centuries.

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Not a war with muskets, armored artillery, or laser guns, but more like professors throwing textbooks at one another and jabbing intellectual foes with concise essays and pointed papers of poignant arguments.

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I\u2019m talking about the nature versus nurture problem, which is the debate about whether human behavior is determined by genes (nature) or environment (nurture).

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The answer isn\u2019t so black and white, but needless to say, many people are born with innate talent and skill.

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One of those people is Michael Chernow, who I\u2019m excited to bring onto this episode of the podcast.

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He hosts a podcast called Born Or Made, which explores this nature or nurture question through the stories of incredibly successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

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Michael is one of these success stories himself, though. Not only is he a trained chef who hosted the TV show Food Porn, but he\u2019s started several thriving restaurant businesses, including The Meatball Shop (with 8 locations) and Seamore\u2019s (a sustainable seafood restaurant).

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As a repeat success in the restaurant industry, Michael hasn\u2019t just \u201cgotten lucky,\u201d but knows how to build effective brands and businesses.

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In this conversation, Michael and I chat about . . .

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  • How he turned his life around from drugs, alcohol, and an abusive household
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  • How much talent matters versus deliberate practice and conscientiousness
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  • The skill of meeting new people and building relationships and networks
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  • Why you don't have to be good at everything
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  • Effective communication and \u201chow to win friends\u201d
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  • The power of branding and knowing how to sell
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  • How he transitions a business concept and vision into reality
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  • His best cooking hacks (including how to make food tastier and the ultimate hack to eat healthier)
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  • And more . . .
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So if you want to learn from a \u201cserial entrepreneur\u201d what it takes to build a compelling brand and successful business, listen to this podcast!

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8:18 - Do you think talent is earned or are people born with it?

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12:03 - How did your talent help you get out of tough situations?

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14:30 - What are your thoughts on the saying \u201ctalent isn\u2019t formed by 10,000 hours but instead deliberate practice\u201d?

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24:21 - What do you mean when you say you can acclimate easily to people?

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35:42  - What part of your process is most responsible for your success with multiple businesses?

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44:41 - How do you know what ideas to follow through with? Do you just follow your instinct or is there a process you go through?

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54:05 - Once you have a bunch of ideas and concepts, is it an editorial process from there?

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1:22:10 - Are you creating restaurants that you would like to go to?

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1:27:15 - Any tips or hacks for cooking better food?

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Mentioned on The Show:

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Michael Chernow\u2019s Podcast: Bord Or Made

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Michael Chernow\u2019s Instagram: @MichaelChernow

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Michael Chernow\u2019s Twitter: @MichaelChernow

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Michael Chernow\u2019s Website: michaelchernow.com

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Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

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Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/