About Adam Israel González Navarro
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a Sunday in Guadalajara and I made mention of an exceptional man I met that evening over dinner at La Tequila, Adam Israel González Navarro. I began to expound on the impression he left with me, and the reasoning behind the great impression in that article.
Adam, at 24, is far more accomplished than many kids with many more life advantages than Adam has had. His incredible poise, his sense of assurance and confidence, and his unabashed joy at the prospect of meeting new people and sitting down to talk was just infectious! The more he talked the more I wanted to know what made this young man tick and where he got this incredible sense of self to be the man he already is at the ripe young age of 24, going on 50.
Following is my interview with Adam Israel González Navarro.
Author: Hi Adam! I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to interview you for Tequila Aficionado Media. In my travels around the world, I have not met a man with so much promise and assurance at such an early stage of his life, and I am inspired by you.
Please tell me a little bit about yourself, your family and upbringing and as a boy, what you wanted to be when you grew up?
I’ve been involved in the gastronomic world since I was a child, thanks to a wise and expert woman, my grandmother. Even though I always had the idea of doing gastronomy as a simple hobby, since I wanted to dedicate my life to the health sciences, It was so captivating to see her cooking a huge diversity of dishes and how she literally gave her soul to this wonderful profession.
At the time I came back to Mexico, after a long journey in France, and since my hyperactivity didn’t let me stay calm, I started working as a simple kitchen helper in a Japanese Restaurant. In time I acquired knowledge and skills and could climb until I became manager of the sushi bar.
Afterwards I dedicated my free time to banquets, but kept the idea of doing this as a hobby, only for amusement.
It was not until one day, when I got hired as the chef leader by a very important and popular Mexican band, that the dream of fighting and devote myself to the dinner guests was born. In that moment I challenged myself to become for life, a person who can be challenged with new missions and hand over confidence, a chef leader.
Were you a good student? Have a favorite memory? Something Inspirational that might have happened to help develop the character you have today?
I can say, school has definitively never made for me. Since primary school and because of my hyperactivity I’ve had a lot of problems staying in a 4 walls classroom. My biggest happiness is in the kitchen, where I loose time control and don’t even remember the time to go.
As every young person and thanks to my masters and teachers who have instill in me the discipline and respect for gastronomy, I’ve being able to acquire a big and strong personality and character.
What or who inspired you to want to follow the Culinary Arts as a profession? Can you share a little about this?
Everything starts with Chef Daniel Martinez (a renowned chef in my native city, Aguascalientes) who gave me his trust giving me the charge of SubChef when I was 18. It was for me the, at the time, the biggest inspiration Afterwards Chef Alejandro Lechuga (member of the Mexican Pastry Team) forge me the desire of becoming a person with no limits, not only a simple student. Thanks to Alejandro I become a temporary member of the Mexican Pastry Team in Las Vegas, Nevada when we competed in a world pastry championship.
Time after that, Chef Oscar Ortega, leave me a life lesson: “there are two options; you do it perfectly or you’re no one.”
My last big life guide has being the Executive Chef at “La Tequila”. He gave me his trust and the opportunity to work in a pairing dinner with a Tequila Master. Ana Maria Romero from Indianapolis,USA. Thanks to that I could polish my skills and knowledge in Mexican food.
The fact of sharing time and skills with big personalities, made an impression on my soul. I know now, that in this world specifically in this profession nothing is free nor easy, you have to fight, you must give at every moment 101% of your heart and soul, show what you’re made of, to get what you want and become someone different.
Please tell me about your professional progression through school, opportunities, competitions, awards and recognitions?
I lived in Paris, France for 8 years, afterwards I took a Lebanese food course.
In Mexico i studied at the international gastronomy college, master of international gastronomy, and subsequently studied the Gastronomy. While I was studying, I went to Las Vegas, Nevada as a member of the MPA to compete in the World Pastry Championship as I mentioned before.
Later I participated in the National Scholar Cup in Mexico City and got the first place for the best sugar sculpture, best team and best taste.
I also studied with Ana Marìa Romero the “Process and Tequila Tasting”
What have you done in your career on your own, such as the months spent in Oaxaca without technology, to further your dreams and experiences and apply them to your ambition?
Months ago I went to Oaxaca City to study the fabulous world of Mescal. Living with such humble people, was definitively an unforgettable experience that teach me a different way of life.
I’ve being improving my skills internationally, like the time I spent in Jackson Hole,Wyoming, preparing for the world junior cup.
What do you do now and what is it about the position you enjoy? Have you had inspirational moments in this position that stand out for you? If you could change something about it, what would that be?
I’m working as the Head Leader in charge of waiters, cookers at “La Tequila” a Mexican Restaurant in Guadalajara City.
My biggest inspiration is to see how families enjoy and seize the day, live the moment as one and close family, that’s what inspire me to keep giving the same service, the fact that each member spend a good moment, enjoy their food and the moment.
If I could change something it would definitively be life’s rate of people like us. It’s really hasty, we give the most part of our time, endless hours, unstable lunch hours etc.
Something I’m sure, I don’t regret anything. Each obstacle make you a better and more capable person.
What is it you aspire to? Where and what would you be doing in a perfect world? Why is this your aspiration and where will this dream take you?
In a perfect world I can picture myself doing the same thing one and thousands more. Even with obstacles,achievements are more enjoyable.
My aspiration is to create and discover new things. Achieve things no one has ever done.
If you could do one thing to change your country for the better, in your industry in particular, what would that be, and why?
Nowadays dinner guests are more demanding, that’s why I would like to train, qualify, prepare or entitle new and better staff, to give the best attention, and be known as the best. To show what Mexico is capable of.
What words of wisdom do you have to those younger than yourself, with the same dreams and hopes that you have?
The only failure is to give up, you got to fight, live but never stop fighting …
Is there someone in your life now that inspires you? What is your greatest ambition for yourself? What do you hope to achieve in your lifetime?
I have two big inspirations; definitively know the reason to be. . .
My PARENTS.
My mother taught me that there are no borders which lead to a failure.
And my father taught me to never stop looking up, no matter what happens
What I hope in my life is to earn the respect for the pioneers of gastronomy and of course become one.
What is your greatest achievement to date, in your opinion?
Winning the national cup.
But above all and in spite of the circumstances, never stop looking up. That is my greatest achievement: To fall, but still getting up.
What would you like the readers to know about you that I have not asked?
Know that I am of those who value and appreciate what he has, that I have concerns of emigrating to share my knowledge but above all, lead others.
It was not this writer’s intent to edit the answers as quoted by Adam. There is in fact a language issue, obviously, but what came through was Adam. Plain and simple. Altering the text to read exactly right in English seemed to take away from the authenticity of the interviewed, so it is this writer’s hope you look past the grammatical issues to read the interview as it occurred without altering the style or words or method of translation on Adam’s part.
Adam dreams of working in the United States or Canada. In Mexico, his income doesn’t equate to the fare of a bus across town in any major U.S city! It seems sad that someone with so much potential drive and ambition shouldn’t be recognized to live his dreams. It is why I wanted to highlight Adam and bring special light and attention to this incredible young man. Beyond the dining experience at La Tequila in Guadalajara it was Adam who really made the meal and our evening. He inspired me in so many ways and left me in awe.
If you are interested in speaking with Adam or reaching him please do not hesitate to contact me.
About Jessica Arent
Jessica Arent has spent her career steeped in the Hispanic culture. Passionate about the Latin culture and experiencing roles that have taken her from television to digital marketing throughout the United States and Mexico, Jessica’s passion for Mexico runs in her blood. An accomplished writer, Mexico is where her heart lives and is the focus of her work and writing. Specializing in marketing Hispanic based products and services, Jessica will tell you there are few people in the world or places she has traveled, from Asia to Europe and in between, who compare to the Mexican culture. Building websites such as ALL ABOUT MEXICO and fostering the marketing endeavors of a number of tequila products, to name a few, Jessica sets out to inspire the world around her, one person, one relationship at a time, to know and understand the culture she calls home. Jessica is a partner at Intermountain Media, LLC, the Communications and Media Director of Terra Energy Resources Corp, and shares other travel and tequila adventures on her blog, Jessica’s Mexico.
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