This isn't a post about me, but about my little brother Xi Yang Yeo. As a kid, he was never studious, and suffered, as we all did, from academics determining how successful he was as a youth. Even though my parents offered to send him overseas for studies, he knew his path lay differently.
I was on an internship with a fine dining group at the time, and he asked me to recommend him to join the group as a junior sommelier in training. Fast forward about 10 years, and this kid brother of mine has just won Best Sommelier in Singapore, and is opening Singapore's first Champagne-forward bar.
He's a key example of what it means to embrace the off-beaten track, and to devote oneself fully to becoming a consummate professional. If you, like my brother and myself, know that your path lies different from the conventional, please understand this:
1. You cannot rely on friends and family to just 'understand' what you want to do. You have to work out a clear plan, and try your best to execute it. Only then can people see your vision and what you intend.
2. You have to put in the hours. Yang worked 80 hour weeks as a junior sommelier, and I had to work 2 jobs at times to stay afloat. The work is no doubt harder, but a lot more rewarding.
3. You must surround yourself with people who can support you and lift you up. Craftsmen rarely are astute businessmen, but they can work with them.
If you are looking for plans in the evening, Convivial opens its doors on Monday! See you there!
#walkingthetalk #professionals #sommelierlife #hustleculture