Saying television personality and restaurateur Guy Fieri has a busy schedule would be a gross understatement. Hosting multiple shows for the Food Network and managing over 60 restaurants, the 51-year-old surely has a lot on his plate day in and day out. Still, it seems like he's doing well in terms of his on and off-screen careers.
So, how does Fieri do it?
‘The Lock’
Fieri began his now decades-long culinary career in 1996.
Speaking with Entrepreneur magazine, the award-winning television personality revealed that his company employs a special system which helps them generate the next business day's agenda come 5 p.m. of the night before. Fieri and his associates call this mechanism 'the Lock'.
Although the Lock makes things simple for the group, fulfilling its job is a different beast altogether. According to Fieri, the Lock's hyperdetailed agenda list includes the most minute detail of the restaurateur's day even down to the name and contact number of the driver who's going to take the star to things like photoshoots. However, the system proves to be quite effective as it makes sure all those working in the company are on the same page. What more, it helps in avoiding the waste of anybody's time.
But, according to Fieri, the Lock is not just about scheduling. More importantly, it helps create trust among him and his employees as the mechanism gives everyone the chance to know exactly what's going on in the workplace. And in the end, he also rests assured that his vision is being executed.
The Key
Fieri also finds the time to bond with his wife and two sons.
Aside from sharing the concept of the Lock, Fieri also talked about what he believes is the key to running a business like his: balance. As the host put it, he relies on his team and vice versa, and so they both adjust for each other at work.
He also compared maintaining a balance on the job to racing saying that no one wins a race running on high the whole time. So, in turn, he paces himself to a work speed 'sweet spot' which he maintains throughout the day.
Guy's Motivation
Fieri in the red Camaro SS Convertible that he drives in his hit show, 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'.
After more than a decade of hosting Food Network shows, some fans of the chef turned television personality have wondered how he maintains his enthusiasm and genuineness when it comes to the dishes he tries on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'. To this, Fieri answered that the situation is like having just a couple of favorite songs in an album while still being able to enjoy the rest although to a lesser extent. He also added that not every dish is great but viewers usually won't see a dish if he didn't like it.
At the end of the day, the host said that it's the people behind the food that keeps him going. And over time, he actually began choosing the restaurants he visits based on the idea of hardworking families 'trying to make a go of something'.