• "Get out of your comfort zone, open your mind, and explore. Everything can feel so heavy in your 20s, but it’s not - you’ve got time."

  • "I suddenly realised that I had no idea what I was doing so I thought, “Well, I know how to do dishes”, and went out back. I washed dishes for months, long enough that my back started hurting a lot and then I worked the fryer, the easiest section, and just learned the kitchen one station at a time."

  • "We made nothing for a long time. We were working insane hours - often 8am to midnight, six days a week. Sundays were our “short” day which was just lunch service. We would’ve been earning less than $1 an hour by the time you broke it down."

  • "We made loads of mistakes, but we kept showing up."

  • "We built Wonder Horse ourselves with a tiny budget - about $50,000, I think. Alex literally laid the bricks on the front of the bar, and you can see his bricklaying skills improve panel by panel. The bar top is this stunning piece of 50,000 year-old swamp kauri."

  • "Bars and young kids aren’t a great mix. Kids don’t care if you’ve been up all night - they’re up at 6am regardless so stepping away was the right call, even though part of me misses it."

  • "I’ve learned that when you feel those doubts creeping in, it’s usually a sign that you’re about to grow, so that’s when I try to dig in and work harder."

  • "It’s the hard work and the follow-through that actually move things forward and knowing when to trust your gut and not let fear talk you out of something - that’s been key too."

  • "Hospitality is slowly being recognised as a viable long-term career, not just a job people do while studying. That’s a shift I’m happy to see."

  • "I’ve learned the value of being vulnerable and telling people when things are hard, when I’m tired or sad, or unsure what to do."

  • "I’ve also become more realistic with myself. I no longer expect perfection. I go at my own pace, and if I’m not enjoying what I’m doing, I try to step back and reset. I’ve realised that it’s okay to slow down, to not always be pushing."

  • "Work-life balance is everything and I didn’t always get that right. Early on, I sacrificed a lot. I thought I was just getting old because I couldn’t move properly during football games, but really, I was just completely burnt out from overworking. I poured everything into the business and had nothing left for myself."

  • "Don’t copy things that are local but for sure take your inspiration from other venues around the world. Be different and find the gap in the market."

  • "If you’re new to hospitality, start from the bottom. Do every job - wash dishes, work in the kitchen, run food, clean up. That’s how you really learn what’s happening behind the scenes. "

  • "With Octavo, I’m trying to recreate something I experienced in Vancouver - a premium casual spot where you can drop in for great drinks, dinner, or both."

  • "If you have a feeling something is beneath you then it had better be because you have perfected it, and you want to grow and learn. It’s not about how long you’ve been somewhere; it’s about the value you bring. Show initiative, build your skillset, and then back yourself."

  • "Hiding mistakes just drains you. Trying to act confident when you don’t know what you’re doing is exhausting. Just admit it, ask for help, and move forward."

  • "Feel the thoughts, recognise them, and see them for what they are. Your gut is looking out for you. Things you might not think make sense on an intellectual level can make sense to your gut. If something feels off when you are sitting with it, then take notice of that."