About this episode
Patrice Plante embodies both the dynamism of his profession as a master mixologist and the depth of an introverted temperament. Beyond his skills, he recounts what has shaped him: humility, learning through discomfort, and the genuine priority he gives to family.
Expect a down-to-earth, no-nonsense discussion: how to build a career, how to protect the family “core”, and how to become intentional in a world that pushes the short term.
What you will learn
- Sacrifice vs investment : reprogramming the way we talk about effort and personal return on investment.
- “Everything has a price” : immediate reward vs. deferred cost (health, career, relationships, finance).
- The “Why” written : a letter/vision as a decision-making compass (family first, business at the service of the living environment).
- From introversion to presence : facing discomfort, “step up”, learning quickly, gaining confidence.
- Fatherhood & systems : routines, boundaries, “nuclear family” vs community, asking for help.
- Education & screens : reading, attention hygiene, digital framework, parental consistency.
- Stress management : meditation, mindfulness, and “realistic” discipline (incremental progress).
Watch the episode
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Resources mentioned
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- Monsieur Cocktail (official website): [link]
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Episode transcript
Host: It's a challenge, but it's fun to see how far we can go.
Guest: All good deals require a sacrifice… or rather an investment . “Sacrifice” sounds negative; “investment” puts it back into a logic of return.
Host: In a society that pushes short-term pleasure, it's good to hear that.
Guest: The more you work for something, the greater the happiness afterward. My basic concept, which I want to pass on to my children: everything has a price . The question is, when do you pay that price?
If you take immediate gratification, you pay the price later. If you train and make the effort now, you reap the rewards later. This is true for health, but also for business.
Host: It's like credit: reward now, interest later.
Guest: Exactly. And when you buy with cash after working, the satisfaction is different. It reinforces discipline.
Education, community, and “Why”
Host: You often talk about education. Where do you stand on this issue?
Guest: It's a delicate matter, but important. An entrepreneur should write a letter from the outset: their " Why ." Even if it's later, it's never too late. When things go wrong, you reread the letter.
My "why" had nothing to do with money: it was about having time for my family . That guides my decisions. I want to develop my employees, delegate, and prepare for the future. At 45, I want to be able to choose when and how much I work.
Host: Many older entrepreneurs regret not having been there for their children.
Guest: Yes. They worked “for the family,” then realize they missed their chance. Our entire society is structured so we spend less time with our families. Before, community was natural: a village, mutual support, several generations close together. Today, we're “connected,” but disconnected.
Journey: From introversion to a confident trajectory
Host: Your career path is atypical. You seem very comfortable socially today.
Guest: Yet, as a child, I was very withdrawn. Lots of books, few friends. At 22, I joined the government. Ironically, that's where I gained confidence: attention, recognition, responsibilities. I went from programmer to team leader.
Then came the shock: my best friend's mother died suddenly of cancer at 47. It was a brutal wake-up call: life can end tomorrow. We said to ourselves, "What are we waiting for?" We started a project together (platform, events, writing). And there I was, in a bar for the first time at 28, forced to "step up."
Host: And then what?
Guest: I was approached by a media outlet and became a food columnist/critic. It was a great learning experience: humility, discipline, facing embarrassment. Then I stumbled upon Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential . I decided to become a chef and started culinary school.
Next, we created culinary events (surprise concept, communal table, total disconnection). It was a learning experience. Then I realized: I loved human interaction too much to stay "in the kitchen" my whole life. I moved towards mixology.
Learn quickly: curiosity, humility, execution
Host: What accelerates learning?
Guest: Curiosity + passion + humility. Imposter syndrome, everyone experiences it. But if you're truly in your element, you learn quickly. I learned by asking questions, observing, doing the "basic" work, and iterating.
At one point, I wanted to get serious training: there was no clear path. I built my own "curriculum." I took a list of benchmark bars worldwide, developed a plan, invested time and money, and went out to learn on the job. A true self-education strategy.
Fatherhood: mental anchor and prioritization
Host: When will the children arrive?
Guest: My first daughter was born in 2020, just before the pandemic. It gave me an unexpected gift: time to be present. And it confirmed my "Why": mornings and evenings with my children are sacred .
I never miss lunch or dinner. Between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., I'm unavailable. Children aren't a constraint on entrepreneurship; they're an anchor . When you come home and they run to you, everything resets. It brings you back to the present moment.
The challenges: nuclear family, child psychology, screens
Host: What do you think is the biggest challenge?
Guest: The nuclear family . Little support, grandparents far away, everyone busy. We've collectively created a mess for ourselves. Children need community, other adults, other points of reference.
Second challenge: you can't learn child psychology . Their brain isn't "rational" like an adult's. You can't reason through an emotional storm. Your role is to be the anchor: "Do you want to go through this alone, or with me?" Often, the most effective thing is a hug and being there.
Host: And what about screens?
Guest: A critical topic. Screens fragment attention. In our house: lots of books, and a strict policy. I'm also trying to improve my personal hygiene: less screen time, less news, less unnecessary stimulation. Reading is a key skill: it develops thinking, depth, imagination, and the ability to internalize.
Discipline: strategy, systems, and quarterly iteration
Host: How do you maintain discipline in real-life situations?
Guest: We need to stop fantasizing about the “perfect plan.” You need to make an honest assessment: your schedule, your constraints, your priorities. Then you build a realistic system.
I like a simple approach: you write down your 24 hours, see where your time is disappearing, and reallocate. Paradoxically, if you want to "do nothing," you have to plan it. And above all: incremental . One goal per quarter. Not 42 resolutions. Quarter 1: one habit. Quarter 2: another. That builds momentum.
Couple: avoid specialization and preserve the relationship
Host: How do you maintain balance in your relationship?
Guest: Roles quickly become fixed: one person gives baths, the other does the dishes, and without realizing it, we lose touch. Our solution: rotate roles . Every other day, we switch. It rebuilds mutual support, reduces friction, and strengthens the connection. And yes: you are a couple before you are parents. It's important to remember that.
Education: questioning the model
Host: Are you considering homeschooling? Why?
Guest: Because the format is too uniform: as many children as there are, so many ways of learning. The system often produces standardized profiles for the job market. I want my children to learn to read, to know themselves, to develop human skills, to explore outdoors, to be curious.
But school also provides socialization. So our thinking is: school first (basics + socialization), then possibly a more flexible transition. The idea isn't to be "anti," it's to challenge the model and optimize it for our children.
Conclusion: speak truthfully, dream big, build the roadmap
Guest: Guys don't talk enough. We need to give ourselves the means to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to reconnect with a community.
And most importantly: no dream is too small. If you want something, you create a roadmap: tools, plan, support network, execution. Life is exciting when you build it intentionally.
Host: Thank you.
Guest: Thank you. This is exactly the kind of conversation that can trigger a real shift in someone.