We had the good fortune of connecting with Adrian Perez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrian, how do you think about risk?
We tend to attach the feelings of fear, the unknown, and failure when it comes to the idea of risk. We amplify those thoughts over ones of reward, payoff and success. Up until I was about 30 years old my life was very linear, one action after another leading to outcomes that I was already raised to believe, taught to think and forewarned about. Just months after I left my job of 11 years to start my own business, I was dumped and left with nothing but a suitcase and my knife kit. I had five dollars in my bank account and opted for living out of my Jeep so I could rent a commercial kitchen space. I had never faced adversity, felt hungry, or been homeless. I thought all the hard work Id put in up to that point would pay off one day so it had to be worth the risk. Plus, when you have nothing left to your name, you stop defining yourself by material things. So when you have nothing left to lose, that’s when taking risks is twice as exciting. People also don’t take risks because the fear of failure, and failure is a misunderstood and under appreciated perspective. It’s a new way of looking at something and avoiding pain or loss in the future, not to mention being able to help others avoid the same because you’ve been through it. I failed a lot! I made every mistake in the book, I learned, I grew, and after a while the next risk Paid off twice as much as the last and so forth. Taking risks played a huge part in my career. Risk helped me concur the fear of being without, taught me true independence as a leader, and with the occasional losses it brought about, humility as an entrepreneur and as a man.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think service to others is, number one, the true key to happiness and self love. I was born to serve others, I love people, I love helping them, raising they’re energy, knowledge about food and the wonderful bonds and memories it creates. I believe passion for people got me where I am today. Building great relationships, never burning a bridge, and giving out a little more effort, time and attention to detail than people expect. I believe that sets me and my business apart, as that’s our culture.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have the best view of the downtown Houston skyline from my penthouse studio apartment in Montrose. I host private dinners for clients there and would recommend you bring a friend over for a private upscale or home down multi-course experience for 2 or more! Open the bottle of chilled wine or  tequila come watch the city go from a busy bustle to a calm evening from a shaded balcony overlooking all of Montrose, downtown to the galleria. I would definitely take them down to the vintage clothing stores and the art museums, hit up a food truck crawl, farmers market, picnic at the Menil, even catch an acoustic country r&b concert from Sheila Marshall.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out to the strong women in my life. Women gave me the true keys to happiness and success. They taught me emotional intelligence, kindness, grace, generosity, and a thing or two about style. They’ve opened the BIG doors for me that have accumulatively given me a very unique career and resume. My mother for reminding me to always be humble And exuding true class and grace. Ms. Staci Henderson for giving me the first opportunity to work with some of the best women in this city, Shanna Quinn for loving me like the sister I lost as a teenager. Finally Mrs. Barbara Bush for taking time out of her day to personally thank me for her delicious meal and share a word of wisdom with me now and then.

Website: Completeeats.com

Instagram: Chefadriantv

Youtube: Chef Adrian TV

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