#45 - Notes on Entrepreneurs, Kodaline and the Bear
Education Coffee is a weekly newsletter on people, ideas and culture.
In each edition of this newsletter, I will share some inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts. I will continue to write about education and learning as well and hope to be more consistent with the publication of this newsletter this year. Please subscribe to this newsletter if you enjoyed reading this edition. We are now 93 subscribers strong!
1. Learning from People
Since 2000, I have been a fan of the Indian Cricket Team. I may have watched every match this team has played over the last 20 years. I remember days when I would wake up at 5 am to watch the first session of an India- Australia series. I would watch full days of a 5 day test match. I was and will always be a die hard fan of this team. My favourite batsmen are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. My favourite bowlers are Jasprit Burma and Kuldeep Yadav. My favourite wicket keeper is Rishabh Pant. I could write a few sentences about each player I listed here, but instead chose to write about the team that they are part of as professionals. In 2011, I was fortunate to watch this team lift the 50 Over Cricket World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Since then this team has reached the semi finals and finals of 7 to 8 major world cricket tournaments and has not been able to win a cup. I cannot imagine how hard this must have been for the players involved in this tournament. However things changed this year when the Indian Cricket team was able to win the 20 Over Cricket World Cup. It was emotional for me as a fan. But I have learned a few things observing these elite athletes along the way. Focus on the process and do not get too attached to the results. Be patient and do the basics right in stressful situations. Be kind to each other as everyone has their own struggle. I hope I get the opportunity to watch this team win many more world cups in the near future. Here is a montage of the final game that was a thriller all the way to the end.
2. Learning from Ideas
I got a chance to interview Sandesh Kini (an entrepreneur and product manager) on my podcast, Learning Stories. He spoke about he developed the Entrepreneur’s Mindset in this short clip from the interview.
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blogs
I came across this fascinating ITN interview where J.K. Rowling spoke about how she created the fantasy world inhabited by Harry Potter and others. This was my favourite book and movie series as a teenager and I often re-read the books when I miss them a little too much. I love how meticulous and detailed she was about each character and their back story. I am also inspired by her persistence in the face of continuous rejection and life struggles.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
I just finished Season 3 of The Bear. I love this show and will have something special to say about all 28 episodes. Here is the show description followed by some notes on my favourite characters and what they taught me about life:
A young chef from the fine dining world comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he's used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother's suicide. As Carmy fights to transform both the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveals itself as his chosen family.
Carmy Berzatto, the restaurant owner and executive chef (played by Jeremy Allen White) showed me how to develop a deep sense of passion, dedication and drive for your profession. Richard "Richie" Jerimovich, the restaurant manager (played by Ebon Moss Bacharach) showed me that you can be angry and kind at the same time. Sydney Amu, the chef de cuisine or head chef (played by Aye Edebiri) showed me that you can be assertive as a leader without being the loudest person in the room. Marcus Brooks (played by Lionel Bryce) helped me understand how a side project can become your full time gig with a little amount of effort each day. Tina Marrero, the line cook (played by Liza Colón-Zayas) showed me how to flow like water when life is difficult for you. Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto, the restaurant co-owner (played by Abby Elliott) showed me how you can turn up for your family even when things are challenging and difficult in your own life. These characters are flawed but humble and lovable. You root for them because of their kindness towards each other in difficult situations. You root for them because they are struggling but yet show dedication and continuous effort to making their restaurant better each day. I have written about the show previously and strongly believe that it is one of the most honest and accurate depictions of the fast paced restaurant industry. I am excited for Season 4 and have added a glimpse of why I love the show in the video linked below.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
Kodaline are an Irish rock band. The group comprises Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast, Vincent May and Jason Boland. They released this song in their fourth album, In a Perfect World. It is about being hopeful even when things have not worked out for you for a long time and you are scared. In an interview with David Henessay, Steve Garrigan spoke about how writing this song helped him make sense of his own experience of navigating anxiety and depression in his 20’s.
“Some of our songs have come from places of anxiety and depression. The biggest one was one of our early songs High Hopes. I had had my first panic attack and I didn’t know what it was and I kind of sat down to try and make sense in my own head what I was going through when I wrote that song. That’s kind of the power of music. That came from a struggle I was going through with anxiety at the time.”
This song helped me navigate a difficult period in my life and my favourite lines are from the chorus of the song and go as follows:
[Chorus]
Ohh, high hopes
It takes me back to when we started
High hopes
When you let it go, go out and start again
High hopes
Ohhh-ohhh
Yeah, but the world keeps spinning, uhh
Yeah, this world keeps spinning
Thank you for reading this edition of #EducationCoffee. I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (43 past newsletters). You can subscribe to this newsletter for more such recommendations on people, ideas and culture.
Please do send me your thoughts and resources on any edition of this newsletter through email at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com, Linkedin or on twitter @AbhishekShetty_. You can find my work online at https://abhishekshetty.carrd.co/. If you would like to read pieces in the future please do consider subscribing to this newsletter by clicking the button below. I love taking these discussions forward on those platforms and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Abhishek Shetty