051: Redefining Success and Embracing the Pivot with Matt Basile

Without Losing Your Cool with Shantelle Bisson

How do we face those defining moments in life – the ones that make us think, pivot, and do big things?

Join us in this inspiring episode as we delve into Matt Basile’s remarkable journey of entrepreneurship, resilience and adaptability. From learning the art of pivoting over and over again to the desire for presence in his early business years, Matt shares valuable insights and experiences that shaped his path. Tune in to discover how Italian culture profoundly influenced his cooking and hear stories of growing up with immigrant parents, which laid the foundation for his success.

Get an inside look at the beginnings of his famous sandwich shop, Fidel Gastro's, and the nerve-wracking opening night of his first food truck. Through this conversation, we explore the dynamics between talent, ideas, execution, and intention, and the transformative power of non-toxic hustle culture.

Born and raised in Toronto, Matt's passion for food was nurtured by his Italian grandparents, particularly his grandfather's expertise in bread-making and cured meats. Despite initially pursuing a different career path, Matt's desire for meaningful creation led him to establish Fidel Gastro's, a sandwich shop. Facing financial challenges, he showcased his culinary talents and captivating personality through kitchen-centered parties, which paved the way for Priscilla, a food truck, and Lisa Marie, a successful restaurant, along with two bestselling cookbooks. Now a versatile creative consultant, product developer, recipe creator, and content producer, Matt's latest venture, Alchemy Grills, is driven by his ethos to bring innovation to the food industry.

We talk about:

• [0:00] Intro
• [0:55] Learning how to pivot over and over again
• [2:20] Wanting to be more present in the early business years
• [5:35] Starting to slow down and dial into a new chapter in his career
• [8:20] The impact of Italian culture on his cooking
• [13:55] Growing up with immigrant parents
• [15:50] His business plan to open up Fidel Gastros
• [21:05] Opening night at his food truck all those years ago
• [25:05] Talent and ideas vs. execution and intention
• [30:35] The power in non-toxic hustle culture
• [34:40] Redefining success
• [37:05] Launching his newest company
• [56:25] Cooking on a large scale
• [1:00:05] Dialing in and pivoting again
• [1:02:30] How he envisions his companies growing
• [1:06:30] The Slow Food Movement
• [1:11:15] His guest appearance on Murdoch Mysteries

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Chapter

1. Matt Basile (00:00:00)

2. Marker - Learning how to pivot over and over again (00:00:56)

3. Marker - Being raised by Italian parents, and the culture around food (00:02:02)

4. Marker - Wanting to be more present in the early years (00:04:15)

5. Marker - Starting to slow down and dial into a new chapter in his career (00:05:35)

6. Marker - Growing up in an Italian family and the impact on his cooking (00:08:20)

7. Marker - Growing up with immigrant parents (00:13:54)

8. Marker - His business plan to open up Fidel Gastros (00:17:12)

9. Marker - Opening night at his food truck all those years ago (00:21:04)

10. Marker - Talent and ideas vs. execution and intention (00:25:06)

11. Marker - The power in non-toxic hustle culture (00:30:34)

12. Marker- Redefining success (00:34:39)

13. Marker - Launching his newest company (00:37:05)

14. Marker - Cooking on a large scale (00:56:23)

15. Marker - Dialing in and pivoting (01:00:05)

16. Marker - How he envisions his companies growing (01:02:27)

17. Marker - The Slow Food Movement (01:06:32)

18. Marker - His guest appearance on Murdoch Mysteries (01:11:26)