876 The Joy of Service

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. Many of us want to have an impact on this world. We want to be a positive force in people’s lives. When we can take a step back and consider how our actions affect others, we can discover the joy in being of service. The way you deal with the people in your business and personal life is essential. Practicing the habit of service will increase the amount of happiness in your life and might also ripple out into your business. For this Five Minute Friday, I revisit a conversation I had with Shep Gordon, where he discussed why he is devoted to serving others. Shep Gordon was the manager behind mega-talents like Alice Cooper, Blondie, and Teddy Pendergrass and knew everyone who is anyone in the music and Hollywood business. He is also credited with creating the role of celebrity chefs through his work, bringing them into the spotlight. His fantastic career has led to both a documentary about his life (directed by Mike Meyers) and a recent memoir written about him, published by Anthony Bourdain. Shep Gordon thinks we could all enjoy the art of service when it comes to life and business. Learn about the power of serving others in Episode 876. In This Episode You Will Learn: The importance of service and focusing on others. (2:50) Building a brand based on happiness. (3:30) The importance of reinventing yourself. (4:30) How he found his passion for life. (4:55) If you enjoyed this episode, check out the video, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/876 Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  This is Five Minute Friday.

• 0:09Speaker 01

  We've got an incredible guest on. His name is Shep Gordon. And in the course of his legendary career as a manager, agent, and producer, Shep Gordon has worked with and befriended some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. You're gonna hear some of those names in just a moment, once I bring him on. He is also credited for inventing the celebrity chef. He's worked with Nobu, Wolfgang Puck, and many others, and kind of helped them position themselves in the market to become these celebrity chefs. And it's incredible to see how he did this for so many people. And how many people credit him and thank him for giving them the opportunity to build their platform in that space. He's also worked with many other individuals, including His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

• 0:54Speaker 01

  And he's revolutionized the food industry and turned the culinary arts into a multi-billion dollar industry that it is today.

• 1:08Speaker 02

  What seemed to bring him the biggest joy of all was service. In all forms. His manifested in that night at the dining room table. But I saw the way he dealt with the farmers, and the way he dealt with the staff, and the way he dealt with my friends, and the way he dealt with his... He put everything before him. But not in a condescending way, not in the most high-spirited, conscious way I had ever seen. And I remember saying to him, one of our first meals, we had eaten maybe in four or five restaurants at this point. And the meal wasn't very good. And I ate half of my plate. And he finished the plate.

• 1:53Speaker 02

  And I said to myself, I said, "That's really interesting. I wonder if it's my taste that far off." And when we left, I said to him, "Mr. Vergé, did you think that was really good?" And he said, "Oh, Shep, it was terrible." And I said, "Well, why did you finish my plate?" And he said, "No, Shep. The chef will be waiting at the door to watch the plates from our table coming back." I'm Roger Vergé. He's wanted me in his restaurant for years. He will be standing there. I cannot send back anything on the plate and ruin his night.

• 2:24Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh, and he finished your plate.

• 2:26Speaker 02

  And for the rest of my time with him did that. I remember I got served in Lyon. After that, I ate every meal till we got to Lyon, which was about two and a half years later. And we went to a restaurant called Lyon de Lyon. And they served me a pig's face. The ears, the nose, the lips.

• 2:45Lewis Howes?

  No.

• 2:46Speaker 02

  And I looked at him and I said, I can't even stay at the table. And I left. I don't know if he finished it or not.

• 2:53Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh.

• 2:55Speaker 02

  But I love that thought. It was such a beautiful, such a beautiful thought, such a beautiful way to go through life. Um, to really think about, you know, not, not you in this moment, but how is you in this moment affecting the circle of life around you and how easy it is for him to finish that plate and make the guy happy. It was nothing, you know, one extra burp.

• 3:18Lewis Howes?

  Right, exactly. That's powerful.

• 3:20Speaker 02

  And that's what made him happy. So that just, you know, I was lucky enough to be around him and experience it. And slowly, um, sort of like osmosis, it, it moved into my way of life. You know, and I found myself expressing my, my passion for life through my dinner parties, which is what he did, except he did it in a restaurant, a really direct way of service. And really feeling good about yourself, you know, I love when someone tells me what they like and what they don't like. That's what Mr. Vergé used to always say to me. Oh chef, I am so happy when a guest tells me what they like. Cause then I know how to make them happy.

• 4:01Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 4:02Speaker 02

  That's what he's there for.

• 4:03Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 4:03Speaker 02

  You know, so.

• 4:04Lewis Howes?

  And so you started doing dinner parties after that?

• 4:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, after they, when I met him, I was a macaroni and ketchup kinda guy. Cereal, frozen cheesecake.

• 4:13Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 4:13Speaker 02

  Um, I, I couldn't care less about food. Nathan's hot dogs, which I still love. I couldn't care less at all about food and through my, my, um, respect and, and love of him came to really appreciate the culinary artist. And so much like his show, you know, they, um. They have to give you their hits. Like if you go to Spago and they don't have a pizza, you get really mad. If you go to an Alice Cooper concert and he doesn't do Schools Out, you get really mad. So as an artist, you are so bored. How many times Alice has played Schools Out?

• 4:49Lewis Howes?

  Thousands.

• 4:51Speaker 02

  How many times Wolfgang, Wolfgang played a pizza? Oh my God, but.

• 4:55Lewis Howes?

  It's not fun for him or creative, but it makes everyone happy.

• 4:57Speaker 02

  Makes people happy.

• 5:05Lewis Howes?

  Hey guys, if you enjoyed this inspirational clip from a past episode of the show, then you'll love the free book I'm giving away right now. It's called The Millionaire Morning. It includes some of my best tips for starting off your day with a millionaire mindset. Get your free copy at themillionairemorning.com and just pay shipping. Again, check it out right now. TheMillionaireMorning.com.