Jamie Oliver is not the best - and that's OK

‘Being better is not better. Being different is better.’

This is a great brand strategy. But I feel like it resonates so deeply on a personal level as well.

So often with our personal work we’re trying to answer the question:

How do I get better?

I can’t help but wonder if a better question is:

How do I do the most me-shaped work I can do?

I got into cooking during Covid. (I know, cliche alert).

All I could cook before was a rather suspect Spag Bol. So naturally I steered well clear of the likes of Ottolenghi and opted for Jamie Oliver’s ‘5 Ingredients’. (my well-worn copy pictured!).

He’s a fascinating case.

Probably not technically the best chef.

But he never really tried to be. He side stepped the world of fine dining, which is obsessed with precision and perfection.

Instead he just threw ingredients together, cooked with his hands, and made home cooking feel accessible and fun.

He made it feel like something that every Joe Blogs/Jamie Dundas could enjoy.

I love that.

(As an aside, is it perhaps more interesting to make things accessible rather than trying to be the expert at something?)

Side stepping the Michelin starred experts would have taken some bravery from Jamie Oliver.

Stepping into your you-shaped work always does.

It also probably also holds the key to the greatest impact you’ll have. And perhaps even the best financial rewards?

Different things are needed for ‘better’ and for ‘distinct’.

Better requires you to work harder.
Distinct requires you to be braver.

I think we often strive for ‘better’ because it’s actually far easier. To let go of what you think you should be (from pressure from the industry, your parents etc) and lean into the work that’s uniquely you-shaped takes self-awareness, guts and ideally a sound group of close friends who call it out in you.