Judy Caplan, a registered dietician and founder of Nutrition Ammunition, in Oakton. VA, is a perfect example of passion put on hold, then reinvigorated stronger than before.

“I see nutrition as an entrée into myself,” says Judy. “I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family and I think I saw nutrition, from a very early age, as a way to nourish myself on the most concrete level. From there, I was able to learn how to nourish myself on many other levels.”

A graduate of the University of Arizona, in Tucson, Judy learned what she calls “Wonder Bread Nutrition,” something she was able to outgrow by reading progressive literature during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She returned to Arizona to get her masters in human nutrition, foods and dietetics, but however benignly, her passion was interrupted.

Wanting to raise a family, Judy put her professional dreams on hold while raising two children, with her husband Dean. As her oldest entered college, a friend asked Judy to speak at her daughter’s boarding school, where the girls had been practicing some atrocious eating habits. The talk went so well that Judy was inspired to write a book. From there, more speaking engagements came, then referrals from doctors and home visits, to patients, and also
accompanying trips to the grocery store, to help teach people how to shop.

Judy exudes energy and love for what she does, and her confidence is encouraging. “There’s nothing you can’t do,” she says simply. “And everything you do do is part of something bigger, later. Everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. It all adds up to something greater.”

Judy’s Nutrition Ammunition can be found at: http://www.gobefull.com/

Alex Guarnaschelli, executive chef of NYC’s Butter, did not, after college, have the “frame of reference” to enter the culinary world with her art history degree in tow. So, the daughter of a cookbook editor did what anyone else would do: she took a road trip across the country with her three best friends.

After a year of introductory learning in the kitchen, Alex entered a work-study program in Burgundy, France. Often the butt of jokes during her first couple years in the kitchen, Alex was glad to be there, and learned as much as she could.

“Who cares if you’re a clown,” she says, “as long as you’re dancing in the circus.” Ready to come home, Alex’s mother suggested a short stint at a friend’s restaurant in Paris. In a story similar to that of California’s Paella king Gerard Nebesky, Alex’s three days in France became four-and-a-half years.

Alex’s first piece of advice for aspiring chefs is to “park gender at the door, and just survive and learn.” She recounts vivid stories of doing just so, in the often-intense, male dominated French kitchens where she spent her formative years. Another lesson gleaned from Alex’s life is to fear abandoning “normalcy” in the name
of following a dream. Alex quickly learned that feminine style had no place in the kitchen. She also, more drastically, chose France over marriage, a choice she stands by today.

“You have to get it out of your system,” she says, of fun and youthful choices, “so that when you hunker down, and choose something you’re truly passionate about, there’s no static on your mental radio, because you’ve lived a little bit to your own liking.”

Mark Starr, owner of David’s Pizza in Spokane, Washington, goes to work everyday to make a difference; success has been a pleasant byproduct. David’s Pizza sits adjacent to the campus of Gonzaga University, on the outskirts of a neighborhood of 3rd and 4th generation Spokane residents. The placement is fitting; Mark spends nearly all of his free time giving back to the community that sustains him. With a thriving catering business, in addition to the actual pizza parlor, Mark has empowered his employees to love the restaurant, and feel committed to what they represent. As part of this empowerment, Mark rewards good grades by paying half of his staff’s tuition at the local community college.

As liberally as he donates his time and talents, Mark has built an incredibly successful operation. His pizza has been voted best in Spokane 11 years running, and an informal survey of a Spokane tavern places his status, in Spokane, at Unofficial Mayor. Mark is a humble man, saying the only way to succeed is through long hours, and a deep sense of compassion. David’s Pizza does not advertise, relying instead on its public works, and of course, its pizza. Mark says, “Our advertisement everyday is giving you good food.” For what it’s worth, the food is fantastic.

Gerard Nebesky makes paella, and makes a pretty good living doing it. Standing outside of Renga Arts in Occidental, California, Gerard seems incredibly intimidating (he is not), for no other reason than he looks like the coolest guy on the planet, which matches well with the life he has lived.

At 18, Gerard flew to South Africa for his sister’s wedding; he came home a year later, inspired with a newfound passion for the culinary arts. After becoming restless again, Gerard moved to New Zealand, returning to San Francisco to attend culinary school, which led him to the restaurant business in Occidental.

After 11 years in the restaurant business, Gerard went back to exploring the world. It was during one of these adventures that he was introduced to paella, and life has not been the same since. Many people, from Teri Hatcher to Henry Kissinger, have enjoyed Gerard’s energetic preparation of Spain’s most famous dish. Gerard, formerly the art director for the largest printing company in the United States, warns against getting stuck in a rut; “if [your job] doesn’t work, just switch it.”

He calls his various jobs “a fun path to go down, for a while,” but never allows himself to get bored, because “life is just way too short.”

Arman Ausiello hasn’t made it; at least, that’s what he’ll say. The owner of Santa Rosa, California’s Ausiello’s 5th Street Grill warns, “once you sit on your laurels and think you’ve made it, you’re done.”

Arman, whose vitality makes his age a complete mystery, has owned successful bars for over 25 years; anyone looking into opening a bar would be wise to listen to his advice. Armen’s lack of college degrees is completely negated by a natural business sense and a work ethic taught in no MBA program. Ironic that a man so successful in a competitive business would offer this as advice:

“Don’t get wrapped up in competition. Do what you do, and be happy with it.”

Beyond his years behind the bar, every morning Arman cleans his entire establishment, and in doing so sets the standard for each of his employees. Many would call this work below the level of an owner, but Arman learned from his father to “just work,” and work he does. He makes sure to distinguish Ausiello’s as a neighborhood tavern/beer bar with a sports focus, not a sports bar. He does not draw his identity from thematic elements, but rather strives for consistency of service, food and environment.

This commitment to consistency has solidified Arman’s place in the community; the community is as well a part of Ausiello’s, with hundreds of framed pictures adorning the walls. These pictures serve to remind Armen who his people are, and exactly why he doesn’t need to change.

At 25, with a degree in mechanical engineering, David Kravetz decided he wanted to sell brownies. David, along with his lifelong friend and business partner Eileen Spitalny, moved to Phoenix, found day jobs, and spent many nights in a friend’s catering kitchen armed only with his mother’s brownie recipe and a disturbing lack of experience. Sixteen years later, David and Eileen’s mail order venture Fairytale Brownies can claim a single day’s sales record of $450,000.

“I just think it’s great to sell brownies,” David says, “It’s a fun product that puts a smile on people’s faces.”

Five years into a ten-year business plan, Fairytale recently moved into a beautiful new facility from which the entire operation is controlled. The Phoenix facility includes a walk-in retail area that contains a viewing window of the actual baking floor, an order processing and shipping center, and plenty of customer service work stations.

Conspicuously lacking, however, are executive private offices. David does his work from the same area as his employees. This, along with full financial disclosure to all employees, maintains the cooperative work atmosphere that makes Fairytale so successful. The $100 Empowerment Policy allows all customer service representatives a budget of $100 to fix a customer’s problem immediately, and it works.

David’s advice for young entrepreneurs is all about patience. “It takes a long time to gain a foothold. We worked for 3 years without a salary, and eight years until the company had a positive net worth.”

That patience has paid off, thanks to calculated risk, trust, and a mother’s fabulous recipe.

On a lazy Saturday afternoon after our awesome interview at Wrigley Field, the PTP team casually strolled up to the highly acclaimed Charlie Trotter’s restaurant in Chicago. Seeing as how this was a restaurant that won the best restaurant in the U.S. in 2000 and was founded in 1987 by celebrity chef Charlie Trotter, we were pretty excited. As we approached the brownstone property we wondered if we were in the right place as the look of the building came off more like a misplaced historic home than a 5-star restaurant, but the gold plated Charlie Trotter “T” displayed amongst the vines climbing the brick wall eased our reservations . We rang the doorbell to the one of the two entrances leading to the restaurant and were given a warm greeting by Matthias Merges in his white chef’s uniform.

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