Brendan: Was there some moment or an event that had gave you that realization that just the authentic you is good enough?

Elia: In general, having a business does that to you because when you start you, like many people, you feel a little bit like an imposter and you suffer definitely of imposter syndrome and you ask yourself so many questions. But then you realize that what you do requires a lot of attention to details, a lot of passion, a lot of elements that if you don't pour in, you don't get the results that you're looking for. For sure, and as an event in particular, I was cooking for, I am cooking for a jet company, private jet company, and I had done only a couple of caterings for them.

So I cook for them, give them the food and they fly and they serve my food, which is pretty cool. But this day, blood and organizer calls me and she's like I know, I know, I'm giving you only 10 hours notice and I'm already. Come on, you know, come on, but this is for Harry Styles, oh, okay, so no pressure there. He had a concert here in Melbourne it was recently and so I thought, wow. First of all, you think what am I cooking for someone like that? Actually, there's not really much you can do to impress someone like that, because they've seen it and done it all pretty much. So I just did the best that I could and of the menu that they asked, gave them the best quality ingredients, the best quality service, the best quality presentation, the best of everything I could think of. Took it there, gave it to them and asked for a feedback and they said we absolutely loved the food and him and his crew was raving about it, was really happy about catering. There was absolutely no bad feedback and so every time we depart from so that was definitely something that got rid of some imposter syndrome and some of the feeling maybe are not good enough, that sort of thing that always somewhere in your brain.

Brendan: Great story mate. What did you cook for?

Elia: Harry, so it was mainly which was part of the fact that was a bit challenging mainly raw and Japanese sort of food, so nigiri, sashimi, this kind of thing, sushi, caviar, so basically seafood. And when she called me, the local market was an hour from closing so I literally put something on and went to the markets throughout the way and that's how that's how I got it done.

Brendan: They must have been really challenging. You think we'll get an Italian to cook us some Japanese food?

Elia: Yeah, well, this is actually part of why my story is interesting and brought me to what I do is because these 10 years I've spent in Australia I've changed quite a few places where I work, and I work in a Spanish restaurant, in a French restaurant. I worked with Asian people. I've seen a bit of Thai, a little bit of Japanese and people know when they call me I tell them look, I'm not a Japanese chef, I've never been to Japan even. But I've got a basic knowledge on those things and I'm confident I can cook or make those things. If we go out of those things to be not as strong for me my knowledge while Italian or meat, we can go crazy. So whatever you want, pretty much I've been a butcher as well, because I wanted to learn how to cut the meats, where they come from, where are the muscles? Learn all of that. I was supposed to be an engineer, so I studied math, I studied this kind of thing.

I went to uni, did not work at all. So that doesn't mean that my brain isn't thinking that way. For example, I was at Pine Food Festival and I was looking at machinery for cooking, but then I caught myself looking at the actual machinery, not so much. The cooking side was like that what was it? I was looking for Europe, sort of thing. So yeah, that could probably make some difference in the way I think.

Brendan: Yeah, well, I guess we can call you the engineering of the engineer of food, the engineer of culinary delights, mate. So not only Harry Styles and his crew, but you've hosted somewhere in the region of close to a thousand people, from what I understand. So what's been the most challenging sort of situations you may have had around bringing people together for this breaking of bread, eating food, so to speak?

Elia: Oh, there have been. There have been many. From early days, I understood that this was more about making it work and obviously really good food, but making it work and entertaining people as a matter of fact, in the entertaining business more than hospitality. But to get back on track, if I have to choose something that just comes up to my head is this person that was renovating a beautiful property on a little hill near Melbourne, warren died. You is fantastic, all green, so I would absolutely steal the house if I could. You know I would love it. And but yeah, the house doesn't have any windows yet, doesn't have any heating, of course, and doesn't have any.

Yeah, has running water, but there's no sink. So there was a barbecue and there was no electricity. So that day we had to run a fryer with a generator, but then it was noisy because they were having a party. We had to line up a few leads, get the generator up the bush far away from us, and then fry with a hook with the barbecue, use trussel tables, just literally making it work. That was very challenging, but the feedback was amazing and the good thing is, people understand the situation. People came, so how we were working and they were like you are doing really well because look at the conditions and thank you so much. It was amazing. We still be very professional with everyone. And you know what I loved it? Because it was challenging, because it was a little bit different, because I had to make it work.

Brendan: Yeah, sort of the pressure of the moment, not only creating this entertainment scenario around food. But even before you could start to create those things that you're building, designing, creating through your food side of things, you had to sort stuff out to even make that happen. What is it that's rewarding? What do you find most rewarding about the experience of bringing people together around?

Elia: Yeah, really good question. And so at first I didn't know that. So I had to have a bit of a chat with my mom when I was digging into this sort of stuff and I said why do I do what I do? What do you think? Help me find out, because I need that to get clear on my message and on everything I do. And she said well, because you've always loved putting people together and the way you do it is, you use food. You use to throw barbecues out of nowhere so many times a week in summer. And the actual reason is, yes, we eat meat, yes, we drink, yes, it's fun, but it was to bring people together and I thought that's actually true, and so I try to apply that to what I do and make sure I always deliver really good food. But the actual focal point is the way I do. It has to make the person and everyone feel like they're actually having an amazing time, a really good, memorable time, a moment, because that's what makes you know the service unique.

Brendan: So how do you, in your business, create that environment? What do you guys do? That's special.

Elia: Yeah, so it's also about how you structure and organize the event. So, for example, if it's a family from the get go, I would suggest let's go getting plates, not go fancy individual plate and things like that. Let's share, because share it's share. Share it means that the food is in the middle. You're going to have to ask, ask somebody. Can you pass me that? Oh, how was that? Or should I have a little bit of that? Or can I try from you? Or can I do this? Can I do that? It's, it's already making the environment more about sharing.

As for show, we want to make sure the environment is is proper, so the nice settings, the temperature is good. We want to make sure also that I pick up the vibe. It's something that it's a bit invisible, but I feel it a lot when I walk in. There are a lot of elements that tell me how to behave and nine times out of 10, maybe more, I get it right in terms of I know how much I need to talk if I have to be more funny, less funny, more showy, less showy and try to give people what they actually looking for, which is another important thing. Sometimes they call you and they don't exactly know what they're looking for or what they actually need to get. My job is to give them what they actually need. Yeah, so it's a lot of elements all together and, as you can notice, I don't talk about food this instance very much because, again, you have to deliver really good food and all of that but that's not what makes it.

Brendan: Tell us a bit more about the dynamics of that, because that's what is ringing out to me. But food is just a tool in this case, hopefully a really nice and tasty tool that creates that environment of sharing and conversation and just connecting with each other. What sort of dynamic changes do you see when people are doing that sharing?

Elia: Food, especially when there's some non-night involved. At first they feel a bit strange having a stranger open their drawers and looking for pots and pans and they just constantly behind you oh, what do you need? Oh, what do you need? In a nice way, you sort of get them to understand that today you can actually take time to go and talk to that person, have a glass of wine, go and do that. And once they realize that it just changes. It's magical because they let go of the responsibility of cooking for the family, they can trust someone that can do it properly and they go and they actually socialize, they actually spend time with the loved ones, which is the whole point. You can see it. And at the end they come to me and they say, oh my God, I never had something like that and I don't need to clean now. My back hurts, even the slowding the dishwasher, these kind of very real raw things. I'm like I know, I know and that's why I do it, not to show you I cook better than you, not to I don't know other reasons. It's just so you can sit and actually enjoy this and you see the change, especially for people that have never done like that, something like that. You can definitely see how they relax have a wine.

Brendan: Let's just stick with family for a second. Has there been a special moment that sits in your mind that you can tell us about? It's just been a really special connection moment between people around the environment you've created.

Elia: Yeah, also a really good question. This one was more of a family that is, I would say, well off. The house was absolutely beautiful, incredible, everything you can name that it has, it had it, and around the corner it had more. It was insane, absolutely beautiful. So you expect some sort of stereotype around this kind of person. I could see, as a matter of fact, there was not much deep connection with these people and I couldn't understand why at first, and then, through the questions and through the night, I realized that one of the parents felt not good enough at cooking for their own family. Like if you would feel not confident to do something, it would be with anybody, but should never be with your family. That should be. At least you should be feeling confident with your family.

That's when I switched and I thought, wow, that should never be the case. Like you should be confident even if your cooking is not great, at least to feel good about it. And the fact that this person was learning throughout the night and gaining a little bit of confidence and, I don't know, maybe through having me allowing him to step out of the step into the uncomfortable zone and step out of the comfort zone, allowing him to step out of the comfort zone. I could see that he was already turning to the girls. He was already saying well, why don't we try to cook this next week? Why don't we go to the market together? Like this is a person that obviously has businesses a lot to do and all of a sudden thinks about okay, maybe I should go to the market and get some great seafood and great vegetables Give my kids and take it home, give it a crack. And that was some transformation for sure. That was huge.

Brendan: Given that experience and I'm going to get onto organisations and teams very soon, but what advice would you give to families out there based on that experience and related to food?

Elia: Yes, so I like I say all the time, I want to stay true and genuine to who I am. I don't have kids, so I'm not going to get into how to deal with kids, but I can help you gain the confidence and allow yourself to cook better for your family. So the advice as a general is to just allow yourself to this, just pick your hand up and say you know what, I don't know if it's going to go well, if it's going to do nice, if I'm going to waste money, but I'm going to go to the market, pick up some fresh produce, whatever I think is good, I'm going to cook it and I'm going to involve the family in this process, because sometimes we think that being with the family is just by the pool or by the barbecue or on holiday. But being with the family was also when I was with my mom shopping and choosing the ingredients. That's being with your family. You're just doing another activity and by involving them and in the process, you, the result is what's in the plate magically has a whole different and higher value because it's being made and created by a person within the family.

So it involved the kids and again, this is from my mom when I asked all these questions she said well, when you're busy, you've got a business, a busy schedule, a lot of washing to do, a lot of cleaning to do, and you can't go on holiday and do these things, so even to the beach, well, that's the time you've got together, you know, in the kitchen, in, you know, with your kids, asking them questions, getting them to try and whip something up and make mistakes together. It's funny you bake a cake. It doesn't turn out like a cake, it turns out like a warm pudding. Have a laugh about it. You know, that's it. Nothing happened. If I do that for a customer that has paid me as an expert, then that's a different pressure.

Brendan: There's what we're really talking about. What you're talking about is that there's sort of feelings, memories, emotions that are linked to food that strongly. Is there anything in your background like is there a signature dish that you may have that it's your signature dish because there's fond memories around it? Tell us a bit about that.

Elia: So I love cooking a lot of things, but this one has so many connections and it's very simple. It's Tagliatelle Ragù, that's how my nonna calls it, but it's basically Bolognese. Obviously has its roots because I'm from that area. But the thing is, every time I cook it I just take my brain back to when I was stepping into my nonna's house, mainly on a Sunday night lunch, and getting that feed. You're going to get a huge feed and then you're going to almost pass out on that much food you ate and all those feelings that come with it being with the family. Smell of the food, the smell of that, because that was always on the menu. It doesn't matter what else was on the menu.

There were some vegetables that were not in season so we wouldn't eat them for a while, but that was always on the menu, always, always, always. And she will make the Tagliatelle from scratch. She will make, obviously, the sauce from scratch, and that smell is just what takes me back as soon as I go to Italy and I go to my nonna's and I walk in and I smell that the connection, the connection is so is not 5G, is 1000G Like, seriously, your brain instantly gives you a whole thing of emotions. So for me, smell, obviously taste, but smell is very, very important, and that's what I try to explain as well.

When I cook that for people, sometimes they tell me even oh, I think the menu is a little bit basic. Well then is when I try to educate them and tell them again, it's about the food. But it's not. The food is going to be amazing. But what's going to be amazing is that you are here in Melbourne and magically I take you to my nonna's table because that's the recipe, that's what it smells like, and I let you in also into my stories close to my heart and close to how I grew up. Yeah, so if I have to choose the one, it would definitely be that one.

Brendan: Well, I have to say myself, my wife plan to be in Italy in a couple of years and I'm really looking forward to going to your nonna's place as well.

Elia: Yeah, that'll be great. A lot of people have tried to do that, but it's a bit hard with traveling and finding yourselves together over there, and luckily they're all still alive. On my mom's side they cook a little bit less, so my dad's side is those ones that grew up more in a farm environment with egg story, so they're still cooking and still making the sauce and they complain their hands hurt. Sauce doesn't cost anything, just buy. You've made enough sauce, just buy it. Now you know the tomato sauce and put basil in it if you want. No, they have to.

Brendan: So that's what's the secret to a great boy knows.

Elia: Well, there are a few. One is non-nonna's don't get stuffed around, but buy butters. They used to at least buy the cuts of meats that they wanted, then go home and means them, because that way they know what's in it, what's gonna be in the sauce. So that's one of the things and obviously are really good if can organic tomato and just following the process, don't take shortcuts. If you have to fry the onion, carrots and celery fried, you have to cook the meat first until the juices come out, and then put wine and then wait a little bit longer and then put this and then put that. Wait and do it properly, because that's what is gonna bring. I myself have tried to take shortcuts on that recipe and it doesn't matter the same, it doesn't taste the same and this is gonna probably cost you a lot of millions. But the super secret is tiny bit of a tiny little bit of nutmeg. I don't know, it just opens up that flavor a lot. No cinnamon, no, all of that stuff. No, a whole spoon of nutmeg, just a tiny bit Just to balance the flavor. If you can buy the actual nutmegs and grade them on top of the sauce, that'll be so much better.

Brendan: I love a good spag, mate, and I think I might make some tonight and I'll try that and I'll report back.

Elia: I'll let you know, please do. I've been having spag for all these years and I've never put nutmeg in it, so this is gonna be the game changer.

Brendan: Yeah, hopefully, yeah, Hopefully you like it. You've got your Italian-Italian heritage. You're Australian citizen. You spent almost now 10 years in Australia, as you mentioned earlier. What around this food topic and the connection, the people connection, what's different around Italian culture and Australian culture?

Elia: So the difference that I see most times not every time is that there's not as much connection in terms of eating. Is not a part of your life as much Eating together at least one meal? You don't have to have breakfast, lunch and dinner At least for us it was. Even. We were playing sports, working different places, different hours, but pretty much all the times we would have at least dinner together and even the fact that you sit down for some people they don't sit down or they don't eat together, or they eat at different times, or the kids don't take part of their cooking or the making process.

Some people I see they have the kids trying to help them clean up, which is really good and all of that. Maybe get them involved into the cooking as well and the planning, because one of the conversations we had at the table was for sure, what are we going to eat next? What are we going to eat next week? My mom would cook something awesome and we'd go like, oh, can we have that again? Ideally I would have that every day, but then she would go like, no, and okay, then let's have it again next week. Should we try this? Should we try that? And that was definitely a conversation for sure. So there's a lot of clash that I felt that sort of is part of what shaped me into me and what I do and what I try to achieve as well with the cooking bomb. That is the way we, as Italians, approach the mealtime and the way Australians sometimes approach the mealtime, the food, the process of getting food cooked on the plate.

Brendan: Let's take this topic into the team organizations, business team environment. Now, what creates, or how would you set up an environment to create those connections, that sort of moment, that sort of process for teams to become stronger?

Elia: So for teams to become stronger. We're talking not about family, obviously. We're talking about the business at the moment. Yes, the teams could be sporting teams as well. But yeah, the organizational aspect of teams, building teams, creating connection in teams how does what you do support that? How can you support that?

Brendan: So, if we talk about me in my case, I obviously need help from other people, but I also like to support other people for example, entertainers, guitarists, local artists and things like that and that's the way I involve other people. If we're talking about how to build a team, it doesn't obviously work as well with everyone, and you've got to have a different approach to everyone, but the point is to make sure that they are there to give a really good experience, and so we need to work towards that by taking advantage of each other's skills. So I'm good at cooking. You are good at serving and dealing with the people at the table. Do that. I'm good at selecting, pouring wines and serving people. Or you're good at cleaning up. Or you're good at organizing the event. Everyone has a strength, so we need to try to put them all together, basically, and create a team that makes sense for that event, for how that event is structured.

Brendan: Whether it's a sort of food team or again the team you have growing your business, there's always pressures attached to those. Have you got one of those gory stories where, as a team, it probably didn't work so well, so therefore the dish was nowhere near? Or can I say you produced a disastrous dish for whatever reason, because the team just wasn't gelling?

Elia: Yeah, I've had one where the dish was a disaster and I cheated a little bit. I had to say to the customer that on the way there, when we were loading the van, we dropped the cake, but the cake was a disaster from hours before that. But the point was to come across with the point in the best way possible, also because sometimes people stress on the day so on like, don't worry, we got another solution, we fixed it. We just can't do that cake exactly. And yeah, the problem was the staff member that was helping me didn't really do a good job in making the cake. And it can happen, it happens to me, it happens to everyone. But, like I said at the beginning, make it work. What are you going to do about it? I've been in some situation where the oven doesn't work, the stove doesn't work, and what are you going to do? Are you going to cry or call Uber Eats? You're just going to have to make it work. Not sure if there was another part of the question.

Brendan: Well, let me set some context as well around. One of the best experiences I remember in and it only came back to me preparing for our conversation is many, many years ago. I spent some time in well, in this scenario. I was in Singapore and we'd arranged a night out with the team and it was at a place in a place called Clark Key in Singapore, and the opportunity was that we split the larger group. We had the larger team into teams, all the teams and each team was responsible for cooking a dish from scratch. You know, all the ingredients and things were already there. We didn't have to go shopping or anything, but it was there. So there was a bit of a competitive nature around it, like you wanted to get the good, you know, produce the best dish. But again, it wasn't about that. That added a nice flavor to it. Excuse the pun, but it was more the process of working together as a team, connecting as a team, using each other's strengths, having some challenges, because some of us might have been OK cooked, some of us hadn't really cooked too much. Just the experience and the emotion and the memories wrapped up in that was absolutely fantastic.

Elia: Yeah, so I think that it's. I stand by what I said earlier, as in using each other's strength. So by having a team that works in so many different occasions, environments, and sometimes there are a lot of challenging challenges, that's where you look within and you you see, ok, well, that person can be a leader, that person can do that thing and that person has proved that was able and capable of sustaining the pressure of the moment and find a solution. For example for me would be for example, I will be on one side of the house cooking something, no problem, and on the other side the power trips all the time and the fryer stops all the times and the chips never cook or they come out soggy, and that person found a solution without even involving me and without disrupting very much the situation. So sometimes you're lucky enough. Just the experience of being in the moment, like you said, being challenged by the experience itself, builds up some leaders. You just have to be in the headspace in the moment of being able to and capable of capturing it, or that element of that person definitely be used that way. That was handled very well and you have to make sure you do that with yourself as well.

Brendan: What advice would you give to leaders to really embrace that world of food as a means of connecting with others?

Elia: So there's definitely a lot and I've given some general advice in general. But just try, try and do things differently, because if you've done something one way and it doesn't create that connection, then maybe it's your approach or maybe the way you are doing it that needs a change or needs a spin, needs to be done a little bit different. And that's when meditation ties into everything and, in this case, into cooking. My breakthrough was through COVID. I did a 25 second meditation on washing my hands and I was thinking I'm just curious about this, what it is going to even do.

And the person was saying well, you're lucky you can touch your hands one with another. You're lucky you can look at them, you can feel the water. You're lucky, you got 10 fingers. So to go back to what I was saying is, meditation doesn't have to be with your eyes closed and breathing can also be. You know what? Remove the destruction, put some nice music on. Don't have Netflix while you cook, going on or something with a conversation that captures your attention on news even worse and celebrate being alive and having a partner or a person next to you in your house that night.

Because you're how, because you have a house, because your house is warm, because you have food in your house, because you have things cook for the new, because you are capable to stand up and being there, but sometimes you just forget to enjoy that. We can actually do that. And if you are able to crack that and get that satisfaction from those little things, cut an orange and go like oh my God, these things smell so good. You know what I mean. Like how many times do you do or think that the only time is when you peel an onion and you complain you're going to cry for the next two minutes.

Brendan: It's a fair point again. There's so much opportunity, for it almost feels like that. What you're saying is sort of cooking can be cathartic if you're really present in the moment, and I don't know as a as a personal chef and and entertainer, the way that you are and create these environments, how many times you would wash your hands, but I imagine quite a lot. So there's that sort of break in the process and you're linking the hand washing to calming the mind and it's almost like a recharge and then go forward again. And if we, if we all take moments to appreciate these little things, then the world's, our worlds, aren't as bad a place as what some people think their world is like. I suppose.

Elia: Yeah, yeah, exactly, and tying this to what I was saying earlier if you think you have time with your family only when you're in Noosa or a Maldives, then step back and go. Like you know I'll enjoy a more simpler feeling having my family in the kitchen. You know, like the hand washing is a parallel. So if I can manage to have enjoyment out of washing my hands, I can definitely manage to get enjoyment out of cooking and being around my family. And so if you've got that hour a day for cooking and your kid or kids or partner are there in the kitchen, you know, think of it less than a task. Just sort of step out of the situation and watch it happen and go like you know what. This is awesome. I get to do this.

The whole hour will feel like a week, will feel a lot longer because you instantly gave it a lot more meaning. It's a lot more meaningful to you all on a sudden. Make sure this thought is shared with that person as well and they understand that you're making so much out of that. Sometimes and this happened for me with wine as well I love wine a lot and I was finding cutting myself drinking wine just because you know, alcohol is out of it or the I don't know tastes out of it.

When I did a wine appreciation course then I thought gonna suck. Every single sip should be thought of like, if I can think of the taste notes and I can enjoy that flavor every time I see the wine. How much more meaningful is a bottle of wine? How much more? And so at the moment? So that's hopefully, yeah, that's the message, that's what I'm trying to say. Hopefully it's a lot clearer and it's good that we spun it around in a few different ways, because the same for me, when I listen to content I want to get across to myself. One thing that I find is sometimes is just the way the person speaks and the angle that the thing comes from. Sometimes, even though it's in English, I don't get it, I don't fully get it. So hopefully I express the message. You know, just enjoy the moment. Cara, cara Norris, smell it and go like wow, oranges smell so good.

Brendan: What I'm really taking is that food is, and we know it is, it's probably it's just not utilized enough in the business and leadership circles as a tool to connect people. Families don't even use it enough, is what you're saying, particularly the difference between Italian culture and Australian culture. But it is just such a powerful thing, isn't it? You mentioned about not always understanding sort of phrases or words. So what about that phrase? "Too many chefs spoil the broth."

Elia: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, and it's always like that. And when have you done that? It actually has a good parallel to what you are about with this podcast. Like a chef is a leader and you know, if I'm in charge of cooking, you know, let me be in charge, and it is a little bit like that. It's good to help each other, but if you're cooking one thing, cook that thing, but you could make the other person feel like that. For example, you know you're there cooking but make your partner feel like she's the chef, and sometimes I'm sneaky that way as well. I'm like, oh, I've got to do something. Can you just top the onion and put them in? Okay, okay, I'll just go and pick up the washing. Oh, what do you have to do? Put in that, put in the other thing and then stir, and then you go and you do this and you do that and magically she has made the meal up and she has made it. She has cooking, because if I'm around then she makes me do it.

Brendan: But yeah, you know you've just blown technique. She listens to this podcast or watches on YouTube. You've just blown your secret. You're gonna be doing all the cooking again.

Elia: Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But you've got this, you've got this shirt on cooking bond and I know that's there's something specific around that. Tell us a bit about cooking bond.

Elia: It's my project, my way to give back to people. What I think you know is the most important message that I definitely shared throughout this interview, which is putting together bonding and connection with family through food. That's the most and simplest way for it. And cooking bond is just a name, but it presents me thinking what can I do? Because I hear a doctor that went to a poor country and did that for the kids and did that for the other thing and did that like oh, I'm a chef, well-off people as well. Sometimes I don't really have this kind of hero story like how can I be so a lot more helpful to people since I'm not a doctor, my chef, and I thought, well, I can help them get a lot closer.

And this ties everything up of what we said. I've noticed by living here and being here that some of the people and families are not connected enough in the family and I can't help you connect in other ways. I know cooking, so, and I know a psychologist either. So, like I said, I need to stay in my lane. My lane is I realize that some people could have a better connection if only where better cooking and if only would allow themselves to make a mistake and cook for their family or partner or loved ones. I've seen that transformation happen.

Was I open up when I was thinking of it with a family? Realized that the dad, this is another family again, the dad wouldn't cook for the family when the mom was recovering from an accident just because he wasn't feeling confident and by just spending time with me in the kitchen and at the market and understanding and wrapping his head around how to use the equipment in also a more organized way. So in four hours we cooked so much food basically for the whole week. He couldn't believe he could do that. Obviously he was slow as a cutting, obviously he didn't have as many ideas as I did, but you get there. But what I saw at the end of the day was that he allowed himself to cook for his family after I left. After I left he was cooking steak, so after a light he was buying ingredients making the food they love hummus instead of buying the bucket it would make hummus. It's a simple thing, but for me it was like see, see, that's working. Like I helped him allow cook for his family.

Brendan: I hope that makes sense it does make perfect sense, and what was the impact that you saw, or hoping to have, through that huh?

Elia: well, well, a big impact actually. They could not believe that night the whole family was sitting at the table the same time, first of all. Second of all, the kids were looking at what was going on. They were not at the TV. They were like, oh, what are you doing? Oh, why are you doing this? Oh, why are you doing that? Well, they were entertained by us being in the kids and, of course, there's an element of a stranger being me in the house. You know it's different, it breaks the routine for them, of course. But the biggest was when we sat down and the parents were looking like this and I was what's going on? You see, well, what's happening she eating Brussels sprouts. You serious, is she actually eating Brussels sprouts? And like, is that so strange? Oh, you have no idea. They told me, you have no idea. So that was definitely huge for them. Apart from the Brussels sprouts, I guess the most important thing was to have the kids being more part of it, of the process. Yeah, absolutely.

Brendan: Brussels sprouts in itself is a fantastic impact, mate, because I think there's a hell of a lot of parents out there, us included, that don't like Brussels sprouts, but for some reason we still try and get our kids to eat Brussels sprouts.

Elia: We, yeah yeah and yeah, and that's it. Sometimes you, I guess you might try to do that. You might try to say your kids eat broccoli, but then you don't. I don't know again, I don't have kids, but I can teach you how to cook broccoli's.

Brendan: Okay, I'm good with broccoli, mate. That's it, Elia. Let's move on to our last question, mate. What's one thing that's helped you become a more confident leader?

Elia: just the process. The process of somebody told me the other day you've got a lot of things and, right like you have been working on yourself a lot, you have been doing the right moves with your business, you have been learning a lot, you have been. It was very encouraging in that sense. But I feel like you will want to go too fast. So slow down, enjoy the process. But what actually switched like I said earlier, it's English, but sometimes you don't get it what made my brain switch was when he said you just gotta leave it. And I'm like, okay, that's what you mean. You have to leave the process, the ups and downs, the changing, the this and that, and that is what shapes you.

Brendan: I love it, mate, trust the process. The reason why I was keen to have yourself on the podcast is, first of all, italy holds a special place in my heart and you happen to cross come across our desk and an Italian chef sounded fantastic. You're an up-and-coming entrepreneur. I had no idea that you'd cooked for Harry Styles, but well done, fantastic, and he loved it, which is even more important, and his team loved it. So well done. I hope you did grab a testimonial there that you can utilize. But the other thing which to me is even more important and what's come through the interview, is that I know the power of food in connecting people, not because I'm a chef, because I've had very similar experiences towards some of what you shared with my own grandparents in Australia and and my family, my dad particularly, who was, you know, he's still alive, thankfully. He loves cooking and he's he'd love bringing the family together around those sort of things. So, and my experiences in a corporate space is when we've we've had some challenge in teams or whatever the food and sitting down over lunch or those sort of thing. It just brings. It just drops some barriers and brings people together. So I'm so glad that came through in the conversation. We had really appreciate your effort and time coming on our podcast. Mate, thanks for being a fantastic guest on the Culture of Leadership. Thank you very much.

Elia: Look, I have to be honest and I thought I was gonna open with this also because I listened to sorry, I remember his name. There's a beautiful podcast of yours and this guy was saying is a tough conversation guy and he was saying lead with that. I was a big feeling the pressure because I listened to a few episodes while I was driving and this past few weeks and I realized there's awesome, amazing human beings in it and I'm like whoa, am I gonna be up to the challenge? And then I went back to what we said earlier and just gonna be myself. You've done a great job with that, mate thank you very much for the opportunity. I am very grateful for that.