Photo Credits: Max Delsid from Unsplash
This series is all about diverse entrepreneurship, but Jelly Social has a different and broader definition of diversity, one that highlights the uniqueness of individuals. To us, there are two forms of diversity to us: inherit diversity (age, gender, race) and acquired diversity (education, knowledge, skills, experience, values). Using inherited and acquired diversity can help us to realize all the different ways we are diverse. This week, we are talking to expert Tony Watson on his journey as a diverse entrepreneur!
What makes Tony Diverse?
As a diverse entrepreneur, shed some light on yourself, the work you’re doing and maybe some of the things that make you diverse!
Originally from Jamaica, I came to Canada when I was ten and started my schooling. My joy for cooking started at home before I began to pursue it in school. My time travelling around Canada led me to the Maritimes, specifically Nova Scotia, where I stayed for 4 years to learn more about seafood and improve my fusion dishes. I took the food culture from the Maritimes and combined that with the food culture I was raised with, as well as other cultures I studied to create my own unique fusion dishes. Currently, the recipes I created at Tony’s Skinny Chef Bistro are a combination of Canadian, Italian, French, and Jamaican cuisine. The name Tony Skinny Chef Bistro came from a nickname my wife gave me when we first met; she didn’t know my name so she decided to call me “Skinny Chef” which stuck and became my brand.
Apart from the training I took on in Greek cuisine, which is very different from every other Cuisine there is. I work for a Middle-Eastern team that combines their cuisine with Greek, which helps me improve as a fusion chef since I can learn how to incorporate the cultures I know into their dishes. We do pop-ups where I get an opportunity to really get my hands dirty like I did before since we unfortunately had to close our restaurant.
Obstacles on his Journey
Thinking back on your journey to becoming the person that you are today, what would you say was the biggest obstacle to overcome? Could be a professional obstacle, a personal obstacle, a mental obstacle, an emotional obstacle.
The biggest obstacle for me was going to college and getting that degree, you already know what you do but you need a piece of paper to prove it. Once you have it, there are other elements to get you the right seal you’d need to work at hotels or restaurants. I have cooked for many celebrities and even though I am shy, I let my food speak for me.
Tony's Advice: Be Prepared
As if you were to have a conversation with your younger self, what type of advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to live life to the fullest, be more outspoken and to not be afraid of showing people what you can do. Most importantly, I would tell him to be prepared. The key thing to be good at what you do is to make sure the preparations are done first, everything has to be mise en place (French culinary phrase for “putting in place” or “setting up”). If you don’t do the preparations, you cannot put everything together since you aren’t ready. The key is to be always efficient and put the prep first to then combine the stuff together.
Speaker's Specifics
Tony Watson is the fusion chef mastermind of few words behind Tony’s Skinny Chef Bistro. Tony has travelled across Canada perfecting his craft while cooking for numerous events and celebrities! He values his customers and is dedicated to serving delicious fusion meals that capitalize on the strengths of each culture.
Want to try his delicious dishes yourself? Follow him on his Instagram to keep track of what he is doing and be notified when he hosts a pop-up!
