The Real Inspiration Behind Robert Irvine's New Book, Overcoming Impossible - Exclusive
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While you may be familiar with Robert Irvine because of his recipes, Food Network's "Restaurant: Impossible," or even his enduring work with U.S. veterans, you may not think of him as a business guru. But that's exactly what he is, and he's looking to show more of that side of himself with the release of his new book.
"Overcoming Impossible: Learn to Lead, Build a Team, and Catapult Your Business to Success" goes on sale in February 2023, and Irvine is "so excited about it." As someone whose entire media career revolves around food, Irvine is looking forward to sharing his "first entry into business" with fans who may not be familiar with that side of him. "I have 11 companies on my own that do ... in excess of a billion a year," he told Mashed.
Now, Irvine is passing on some of the secrets to his success. Speaking exclusively with Mashed at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, Irvine shared the inspiration behind his new book and the biggest message he hopes people walk away with after reading about his life lessons.
His new book is all about failure
The title "Overcoming Impossible" suggests a book that is all about achieving unexpected greatness. In a way, that's true, but as Robert Irvine put it, this book is mainly about the importance of failure and what you do with it. He said, "This book is all about experiences and my own failures, my successes, other people at different levels ... that have learned lessons. We've been able to take those lessons and be successful."
He says the biggest message in the book is that "it's okay to fail." Irvine declared, "You're going to fail, and you've got to know how to deal with failure. That's the biggest problem businesses have — they don't have a vision, they don't hold people accountable, they don't set expectations." Those are all things Irvine helps businesses with all the time on "Restaurant: Impossible," and he's the first to say it applies across the board.
"No matter what business you are in ... what makes you different is to be able to go somewhere, assess something quickly, and suggest changes." According to Irvine, that's how you grow from your mistakes — and overcome the impossible.
The biggest hurdle Irvine has had to overcome
There's a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from Robert Irvine's new book, whether you're a business owner or simply looking to turn failure into forward momentum. Given Irvine's success after success in his own career, we asked him what makes him such an expert on failure — or more specifically, the most impossible thing he's overcome in his life. Without hesitation, he said, "Learning how to deal with fame." While you might not expect that answer from someone who's built their career in the spotlight, Irvine admitted, "I'm very abrupt and very direct on television, but in real life, I'm not. I hide. I'm not an outgoing person."
Irvine said that his dedication to his ultimate goals is what helped him push through. "I'm a chef and I'm a business owner, and I believe that I'm put on this planet to help people ... The biggest thing for me is having people hang on everything you say and knowing that they're changing their lives because you are telling them to." Learning to overcome the impossible became a mission for him because "'with great power comes great responsibility.' I think about that every day when I wake up."
For the latest from chef Robert Irvine, follow him on Instagram. His new book, "Overcoming Impossible," is on sale in February, with pre-orders available now. Plus, click here to learn more about the annual Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival Presented by Capital One, and be sure to check out the highlights from this year's event.