Matteo Dayem shares his values.

It’s a pleasure to introduce you to our latest mentor, Matteo Dayem, Executive Brand Chef @ Power International Company.

Thank you for sharing your genuine and inspiring thoughts with us Matteo — all aligned with our values, professional and personal!

It’s great to have you on board.

1. Passion

“Passion was the first of my ‘core values.’ Passion is the reason we do what we do…it’s what drives us every day. It’s a funny thing, because people can tell when you’re not being genuine…they know when you are not passionate. It shows. If you love what you do, you put everything into it.”

2. Harmony

“In the restaurant business, everyone has to work together. There needs to be harmony in your team. You may not like someone, you may not hangout with them outside of the kitchen, but we all have to work together to get the job done. Also, harmony in the literal sense — meaning the harmony of food and wine, the harmonious flow of the restaurant, etc.”

3. Humility

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously. I want my team to be humble — to appreciate and listen to others. We work as a team at all of my restaurants, and I want people to accept they don’t know everything. It’s okay to mess up, as long as you learn from it. I also want my team to know that everyone is important, no matter who you are. The dishwasher is just as important as the executive chef — everyone plays a role in how the restaurant runs. Without one person, it doesn’t run right.”

4. Imagination

“We like to have fun! We don’t take things too seriously, and we try to promote creativity and innovation. We want our chefs to color outside the lines and have a good time. That’s where some of our best ideas come from.”

5. Caring

“This is so important — not just for the restaurant, but for life. You need to care for yourself, care for your team, care for your guests, care for your community. If you don’t care, why should anyone else?”

6. Courage

“I really believe it takes courage to do what we do, to admit your faults and to know there’s always something we do better. To stand up and admit you can do better takes a lot of guts!”