Perzen Patel
@perzen
I want to take you beyond butter chicken. Indian food advocate, small biz owner and story-teller by passion. Communications professional and writer by trade. Mom to two boys with 1,000,000 questions daily 24/7.
Perzen Patel
perzen.substack.com
“I kept my idea a secret from anyone who could not directly help to move it forward. That was my gut instinct at the time, but it’s now one of the best pieces of advice I have to give. Ideas are the most vulnerable at the moment you have them; that’s also the time people are most inclined to run around seeking validation from everyone they know. Di
... See moreThis Colorado food writer came up with a novel way to monetize his content
Simon Owensopen.substack.com
The business of business and Substack superhero
Food blogger built his business with only 12 advertisers. Over indexes on benefits:
All 12 advertisers get a logo in every issue
4 of them receive ads in the weekly post (all school listing type eg pub quiz Tues, earlybird thurs etc). He does 3 posts per week so every advertiser receives 1 mention per year
1 big feature piece or 1 podcast episode per year
Partnership opportunities between each other
Asks them for viewpoints/opinions in his think pieces (opportunity to comment)
Charges $500-$1000/month per advertiser.
A chef’s secret to slicing beef quickly is to freeze the meat partially for 30 to 60 minutes until firm.
This makes slicing much easier and faster, as the firm beef does not slide under your knife and around the cutting board. Partially frozen meat also allows you to be more precise in cutting to your desired thickness.
This makes slicing much easier and faster, as the firm beef does not slide under your knife and around the cutting board. Partially frozen meat also allows you to be more precise in cutting to your desired thickness.
Velveting is a Chinese technique that involves marinating proteins with a mixture of oil and cornstarch to give proteins a “velvety” texture after cooking in hot oil (oil velveting) or boiling water (water velveting). The cornstarch and oil form a barrier that locks in juices and protects the meat from the hot cooking medium, and additional seasoni... See more
Making juicy beef/chicken stir fry
Winning at life and
The secret to life is doing the thing again. And again.
Instead of trying to copy other people’s success stories, here's what I think works better:
Study patterns, not paths.
Look at multiple examples of success in your field. Find the common principles, patterns, and tactics that show up, regardless of someone's advantages.
And don’t forget to pay attention to failures. When someone fails doing exactly wh... See more
Study patterns, not paths.
Look at multiple examples of success in your field. Find the common principles, patterns, and tactics that show up, regardless of someone's advantages.
And don’t forget to pay attention to failures. When someone fails doing exactly wh... See more
It’s easy to get in your own way by setting the bar too high. Instead, set the bar as low as possible. Any progress at all is a good thing. What is the smallest unit of progress you can make?
Do one push up
Read one page
Write one sentence
Take one photo
Draw one doodle
Just do one every day
Do one push up
Read one page
Write one sentence
Take one photo
Draw one doodle
Just do one every day
Winning at life and building good habits
Jumpstarting a new habit
Do you ever feel like your business standards are lower than they should be?
If so, identify the three most important aspects of your business — maybe it's your product, your customer service, and your team (if you have one). Write down the current standard for each category. And then write down what excellence actually looks like.
The gap between th... See more
If so, identify the three most important aspects of your business — maybe it's your product, your customer service, and your team (if you have one). Write down the current standard for each category. And then write down what excellence actually looks like.
The gap between th... See more
The truly great entrepreneurs — the ones who build lasting companies — refuse to tolerate mediocrity. They don't accept sloppy work because "the client won't notice." They play until the whistle blows every single time.
Again, it’s not about perfectionism. It's about having the courage to be honest about what's excellent and what isn't. It’s about b... See more
Again, it’s not about perfectionism. It's about having the courage to be honest about what's excellent and what isn't. It’s about b... See more
The entire point of ‘want’ as an emotion is to drive human action. ‘Want’ is there to create problem-solving, ingenuity, finding a way. In our brains, a short, precipitous path leads fromI have to have this to There has to be a way to get it. And that means wanting creates access to hope.
To be clear, the shortness of this path isn’t always a good t... See more
To be clear, the shortness of this path isn’t always a good t... See more
Winning at life and The corner office
Defining our want and using it to fuel hope