My wife and I had breakfast with Mariano Takishimi, an Argentine born Japanese Chef who manages 3 operations in Los Cabos Mexico. After I got beyond the awe of dining with someone who actually knows about food, I asked Mariano what legacy he would like to leave behind. This is a question I am wrestling with based on a class project on Action Learning and Coaching.
As part of the data collection portion of the class, I set out to interview a number of stakeholders to get a wide angle view of the topic of what it takes to live a life that is Legacy driven. My interview list includes two entrepreneurs, two leaders of businesses we provide services to and are intimately familiar with the work we do, and selected members of our staff.
So Mariano would be me or the two entrepreneurs. Mariano, who is Japanese, was born in Argentina. Mariano’s father wanted him to study business so he could join the Hitachi corporation where his father worked as an executive. Mariano followed his passion for the culinary arts, he went to school in France where is honed his craft. Today, Mariano is part of the MBU business group in Mexico who operate a number of boutique hotels.
I asked Mariano what thought about his legacy. He said life’s work or legacy is something rarely talked about. That was until a routine blood test revealed that a stage 1 cancer. A month later the cancer had progressed to stage 2. Post surgery and now cancer free, Mariano said he thinks now about what he would leave behind. And figured that his life journey of multi cultures, family, work experience and leading several businesses, including a failed restaurant venture in the middle of holiday destination Los Cabos, would inspire people.
There is a something about how a crisis or some “disorienting condition” (to use use Mezirow’s language from transformative learning) can force us to focus on what really matters. According to the late Art Ciocca, CEO and owner of The Wine Group, a head on accident while riding his bicycle, “motivated me to get working on things that had less to do with work and more with giving back to life,".
Mariano would love inspire people with his story to communicate the power of passion, hard work, failure and perseverance in life. How does he intend to do this?. Mariano is in advanced stages to begin a weekly podcast.
At this point in the breakfast, Mariano took one glance at his watch, I knew we were getting to the end of the lovely breakfast. Mariano had mentioned he had an appointment with his Dentist at 10am and we had an UBER to catch to get to the airport.
So what did I learn from Mariano?
First, that we create legacy daily even when we may not think about it or be forced to reflect on it by a “disorienting condition”. What our epitaph would say would be the sum of our lives, whether lived intentionally or not.
Second, there is something about how our passion is a source of our life’s work. Christian Larson reminds us that there is something inside of us that is greater than any obstacle. Our passions provide clues to what
matters to so and hopefully we can make the choice like Mariano to follow it. I can contrast this with some folks who say passions don’t pay bills. In the case where of Mariano, his passion as a Chef more than paid his bills. It has been a source of fulfillment.
Third, legacy requires hard work. As a Chef, Mariano said 20-30 percent is spent in actual cooking, the rest is the preparation, cleaning, washing and all the things “most people don’t want to do”.
Our passions would also have parts that are demanding and less glamorous but has to be done. A life of legacy requires a commitment to the valleys and mountaintops of daily experiences.
One example of Mariano’s commitment was during the pandemic, he cooked at home for a group who continued to support his work. And to this day, he makes time to fulfill his commitment to this group.
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