Relentless Growth
Cultivating a Chef’s Mindset for Professional Fulfillment
In the satisfying self-help text Relentless Growth, personal experiences and challenges from the kitchen are mixed into useful suggestions for experiencing growth, well-being, and greater fulfillment.
Providing a glimpse into the unique pressures of the hospitality industry, Chef Franck Desplechin’s self-help book Relentless Growth shares firsthand experiences and lessons to cook up professional satisfaction in any field.
The ten chapters blend hearty personal ingredients including curiosity, patience, resilience, and adaptability to help the next generation of culinary and other workers find deeper fulfillment. An emphasis on redefining “failure,” mastering skills, and focusing attention on details holds this recipe for success together in a well-blended mixture. Vivid descriptions, including of Desplechin’s childhood in France with his parents creating “art on a plate,” enliven the book and explain the origins of his driving, lifelong passion. Later references to St. Tropez artists and street performers observed during one cooking position, as well as the “art forms” of growth, “fluid” expertise, and observation practiced in resort kitchens from San Francisco to Hawaii, spice up the creative perspective throughout.
An excellent understanding of the challenges facing culinary workers, including bullying, is conveyed in direct terms. Other sensitive subjects such as handling the weight of well-meaning advice, getting lost in the “noise” of daily life, and dealing with the imposed restrictions of hospitality management are addressed with honesty too. A sense of urgency is expressed while discussing a need for change, especially for younger kitchen workers. Personal experiences and challenges are mixed into useful suggestions for experiencing growth, well-being, and greater fulfillment. Some of the most valuable discussions include the importance of developing a plan and having vision, taking time each day for self-reflection, and assessing one’s personal strengths and weaknesses with accuracy.
In a few spots, the book’s energy is disrupted by diversions. A long description of one job interview and the repetition of some points slow the otherwise smooth pace. The use of the worn phrase “No pain, no gain” and two references to “See you at work” are out of place in the text as well, while a delay in picking up a dropped discussion about launching a business after one job’s elimination also creates a pause. Still, the questions raised throughout the book are powerful prompts for introspection. Those with ongoing impact ask about internal stirrings, close observation, and steps toward future development. And the uplifting and encouraging conclusion includes helpful reminders about viewing obstacles as opportunities as well as astute insights for regarding the gaps in progress as possible moments for transformation.
Relentless Growth is an excellent self-help book filled with appealing tips for experiencing professional fulfillment in the hospitality industry and beyond.
Reviewed by
Andrea Hammer
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
