FOLLOWING A DREAM – a 14 year old chef tells his story…

Flynn McGarry is fourteen years old and goes to school just like any other American teenager. At a time when headlines are dominated by teenage pregnancies and teens on drugs and carrying guns, it is refreshing to read about McGarry who is already an accomplished chef who has catered to more than 120 people at one go.

McGarry started his career three years ago – what started out as a love of cooking, inspired by his mother, soon became a passion and he was creating signature dishes and hosting dinner parties. He is billed to cook a 12 course meal for 40 people at an upscale restaurant and the dinner is already sold out at US $ 160 a plate.

The fourteen year old chef is living proof that kids today are not as bad as we like to think. If an average fourteen year old living in the USA can rise above the buzz, there must be so many like him out there. What they need to become successful – an inspiration, a goal, a success story to emulate.

Creative career

What started out as a hobby for the teenage chef soon became a creative career that required him to do bigger and better. He took up each challenge with the energy and commitment as only a teenager can. Cooking is not an easy career – being a chef is often a busy, stressful occupation that leaves little time for other pursuits. Despite the odds, McGarry says he loves doing what he does – and he is certain to inspire others.

Teen chef Flynn McGarry

Together with his mother, Meg McGarry, he has set up Eureka, a supper club pop-up business that hosts monthly dinner parties at his home. He wanted his bedroom to be converted into a kitchen – when he was younger, he could not reach the family stove. They built a "test kitchen" in his bedroom.

What started off with two tables and gas burners, located near his desk and his bed, needed more space and eventually became a larger area when he moved out into his sister’s room. Today, the area hosts industrial burners and a large oven, plating areas, four stations and enough space to cook for large dinner parties.

"For all of the events at my house, we haven't made money, but with this event we will make a little money. However, it all goes to new dishes. It is not a moneymaking thing. We lowered the prices and we are doing more food and more expensive ingredients. We are thinking of it as a fun night. That's how all chefs think about it - that we are getting together to enjoy good food, do what we love and have fun," McGarry said.

Lot of work and dedication

The fourteen year old chef is an inspiration to both young and old alike. You are never too young or old to follow your dream – to turn that dream into a venture that brings both the revenue and the happiness is entirely in your hands. You just have to get the formula right.

It is not easy to muster the courage, the commitment and the effort to keep going at something as time consuming as cooking, for a fourteen year old but McGarry has done it all exceedingly well. He has chosen to do something he loves and has been able to keep it going consistently.

Some of us start off doing things we love only to give up when the going gets tough. Some of us are afraid to cross that boundary, to make the decision to do what we love doing so we stay without going there. Yet, this teenager has achieved what most of us have not been able to achieve.

Choose to follow a dream but also be prepared to give it all you’ve got. A dream does not happen overnight but takes a lot of work and dedication. Yet, in the end, you have the satisfaction of knowing you did it right, did what you have always wanted to do.

There are many McGarrys among us. Some of them have the talent but not the opportunity – others are not ready to make the cut. It is up to each of us to find and follow the dream.