People ask me what my biggest accomplishment is?

Published 24.04.2025

They usually expect something flashy—like “opened X number of restaurants” or “grew a brand across three continents.” And sure, I’ve done those things. But honestly? My proudest achievement is simpler, quieter—and a lot more meaningful:

Relationships.

Professionally, I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes the chaos) of working with some brilliant people. Years later, I still bump into folks who say, “You know, something you said really stuck with me.” Which is nice—especially considering half the time I was probably running on espresso and adrenaline.

Whether it’s a message out of the blue, a wave outside a restaurant, or a kind word passed on to a mutual friend, it always makes me stop and think: we did something good there. I don’t take credit for anyone’s success—but if I nudged them in the right direction, even slightly, I’ll take that as a win.

And personally? Same story.

I’ve got a friend I met in college—we’ve live on different continents  but still FaceTime a few times a month, text every other day, and see each other at least once a year. I’ve got another friend I can tell literally anything to without fear of judgment—just a raised eyebrow and maybe a sarcastic remark.

There’s the holiday buddy who shares my values (known for our laugh-crying meltdowns), the friend who’s been by my side since my 30th birthday and still is (despite consistently failing the ‘When’s my birthday?’ quiz). A year after we met, he found his partner—and I somehow gained another best friend in the process. Honestly, I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’ll take the buy-one-get-one-free friendship special any day.

And still one more who’s always been a call away, no matter what time zone we’re in. We don’t need to say much—we just know. And that, in itself, is gold.

We’re always told to keep personal and professional lives separate, but if I’m honest? I’ve blurred that line in the best possible way. The thing I’m most proud of—lasting, honest, supportive relationships—has shown up in both. Same values, same energy, just different kinds of uniforms.

So no, I don’t have a trophy wall or a five-point business plan framed in gold. But I’ve got a long list of people I still laugh with, learn from, and deeply value.

And if that’s not legacy, I don’t know what is